Thesis abstract:

Climate change is one of the major drivers of changes in marine and coastal ecosystems. The scale and significance of these changes raise important questions about how coastal communities will be able to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Many impacts of climate change – including ocean acidification, storms, and coastal erosion– affect biodiversity. Loss of biodiversity can lead to land degradation and changes in farming productivity that increases communities’ vulnerability to climate change. Nature-based solutions, like mangrove restoration and sustainable land use, are being implemented to build climate resilience and protect biodiversity, but their implementation in conflict-affected areas is limited. In conflict-affected coastal areas, such as Colombia’s Pacific and Caribbean coasts, violent conflict deepens communities’ vulnerability by causing instability and displacement. This research will quantitatively assess how including distributional, procedural justice and collaborative networks in the design and implementation of nature-based solutions and climate adaptation projects can reduce unintended social and ecological consequences in conflict-affected coastal communities.