Investing smarter and deeper to advance equity in high-stakes coastal locations in the Global South
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The billions invested annually in marine climate adaptation, development, and conservation projects in the Global South can address, or reinforce, pre-existing contextual inequities 1. Concurrently, contextual inequities can also undermine the effectiveness and outcomes of externally-funded projects. We developed a composite index of contextual inequity and assessed the distribution and equity of 35,440 coastal and marine projects across 84 countries. Our global map highlights “high-stakes” locations, where interactions between substantial external investment and high contextual inequity make equitable design and implementation critical. We observed high-stakes conditions across every ocean basin, and explicit consideration of equity in only 27% of projects globally. To advance equity, we recommend investing smarter through cross-sectoral partnerships and deeper to address root causes of contextual inequity in marine systems globally.
Source: Communications Sustainability
Authors: David A. Gill, Stephanie D’Agata, Jessica L. Blythe, Joachim Claudet, Natalie C. Ban, Pavanee Annasawmy, Nathan J. Bennett, Antonio Di Franco, Graham Epstein, Louisa Evans, Phil Franks, Georgina G. Gurney, Stacy D. Jupiter, Jacqueline Lau, Natali Lazzari, Shauna L. Mahajan, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Josheena Naggea, Rachel A. Turner, Noelia Zafra-Calvo
Institutions: Duke University, University of New Caledonia, Ifremer, Fondation Pour la Recherche Sur la Biodiversité, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Écologie Marine Tropicale des Océans Pacifique et Indien, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Brock University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l'Environnement, University of Victoria, University of British Columbia, World Wildlife Fund, International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, University of Palermo, University of Waterloo, University of Exeter, International Institute for Environment and Development, University of Tasmania, Centre for Marine Socioecology, James Cook University, Wildlife Conservation Society, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Stanford University, University of the Basque Country, Basque Centre for Climate Change
Language: English
Subfield: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7148602191