Navigating Nature-Based Coastal Adaptation through Barriers: A Synthesis of Practitioners’ Narrative from Nova Scotia, Canada

Abstract

Nature based coastal adaptation (NbCA) sustainably helps minimize sea-level rise impacts, using and enhancing the natural capacity of coastal ecosystems. Despite its relative advantages over conventional hard protection infrastructure, the implementation of NbCA is challenged by diverse barriers, many of which cannot be overcome in the absence of appropriate policy directives. This paper draws on organizational practitioners’ case study narratives collected from six NbCA projects planned and/or implemented in Nova Scotia, Canada, to answer how the implementation of NbCA approaches can be navigated through adoption barriers. Results reveal that institutional and psychological barriers dominate, and they also show path-dependency. In addition, barriers are often influenced by the biophysical properties of a restoration site. To navigate through barriers, it is important to identify policy opportunities and redistribute roles and responsibilities. Organizational knowledge creation through partnership and community engagement are two other strategies required for the successful implementation of NbCA.

Keywords:

• Sea-level rise
• salt marsh restoration
• greening shorelines
• policy
• practice

Acknowledgement

The wider Making Room for Movement team, including students and partners, is thanked for collegial engagement with these ideas when presented as works in progress. The comments of the paper are solely the responsibility of the authors and under no circumstances may be considered a reflection of the position of NRCan.

Notes

1 See: https://www.transcoastaladaptations.com/

2 Aboiteau (aboiteaux, pl) are round or square sluices built to drain rainwater from dyked agricultural marshland to ocean. Each aboiteau has a clapper or valve to allow rainwater to drain during low tide and prevent saltwater to enter during high tide (see also https://www.acadian.org/history/acadian-innovations/acadian-aboiteau-dyke/).

Additional information

Funding

We would like to acknowledge the financial support of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Government of Canada, through a grant from the Climate Change Adaptation Fund to van Proosdij (PI), 2018–2020.