Article | Open Access
Bridging Local and Scientific Knowledge in Land–Sea Governance Through Strategic Foresight: Unlocking Transformative Adaptation in Valencia
| Views: | 43 | | | Downloads: | 18 |
Abstract: Land–sea interfaces (LSIs) are complex areas where terrestrial and marine ecosystems intersect, leading to intricate ecological, social, economic, and political interactions. These regions face pressures from both land‐based and maritime activities, with climate change amplifying threats to communities and natural environments. Strategic foresight analysis, focused on co‐designing future scenarios, offers a promising approach to developing sustainable strategies for LSIs. Central to this approach is stakeholder engagement, which involves participatory practices in scientific planning to improve LSI governance. This article presents outcomes from a workshop held in June 2024 in Valencia, where stakeholders from the Valencian Community participated in activities using strategic foresight tools like horizon scanning and scenario planning. The aim was to address climate pressures, identify beneficiary and affected sectors, understand community needs, and explore tools for managing environmental challenges. Based on the workshop’s outputs, future adaptation perspectives were developed, each targeting different goals, such as sustainable economy, environmental behaviour, and integrated governance. This process underscored the value of participatory processes that combine local knowledge with scientific expertise to enhance understanding of LSIs’ challenges and opportunities, build shared visions, and develop actionable strategies. The participatory nature of the workshop fostered a sense of ownership and supported an inclusive decision‐making process that promotes long‐term commitment and cross‐disciplinary learning, ultimately leading to more resilient and context‐sensitive strategies.
Keywords: climate change adaptation; coastal governance; land–sea interface; stakeholders engagement; strategic foresight analysis; Valencian Community
Published:
Issue:
Vol 2 (2025): Transforming Coastal Governance: Challenges, Experiences, and Ways Forward (In Progress)
© Gea Grassi, Federica Zennaro, Irene Luján Climent, Oscar Barberà, Bernabé Aldeguer‐Cerdá, Gianluca Ferraro, Jean‐Marc Douguet, and Elisa Furlan. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits any use, distribution, and reproduction of the work without further permission provided the original author(s) and source are credited.