Social innovation that connects people to coasts in the Anthropocene

Abstract

Post-industrial society is driving global environmental change which is a challenge for all generations, current and future. The Anthropocene, the geological epoch in which humans dominate, is rooted in both the past, present and future. Future sustainability is building on the momentum of the fundamental importance of studying human dynamics and governance of coupled social and ecological systems. In the Anthropocene, social innovation may play a critical role in achieving new pathways to sustainability. This conventional narrative review uses a qualitative analysis anchored in the Grounded Theory Method and a systematic collection and analysis of papers to identify broad types of social innovations. Scientific journal articles published since 2018 were prioritised for inclusion. The six types of social innovation proposed are a) authentic engagement; b) artful and engaging communication; c) urging and compelling change; d) governance for social-ecological systems; e) anticipation in governance; and f) lived experiences and values. The six innovations proposed in this paper can be embedded within, and form part of, social action using a science-society compact for the sustainable development of coasts in the Anthropocene.

Grand challenges in marine governance for ocean sustainability in the twenty-first century

“…. Indeed, what is https://www.cbd.int/gbf/ is a new science-society compact for the Ocean(Celliers et al, 2023), which aligns science much closer with society and decision-making. Work on the science/society/policy nexus of the Ocean will yield new methodological and conceptual insights to support this transformation of Ocean sciences.…”