Resilience to wad? Exploring different perceptions of resilience and coastal protection measures among key stakeholders at the German Wadden Sea

Stakeholders along the German Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage site, overwhelmingly favor conventional hard engineering solutions for coastal protection due to entrenched path dependencies and strong place attachment. However, where these factors are weaker, there is an emerging shift toward more innovative coastal management approaches that align with tidal flats ecosystems. The study introduces the 'Coastal Resilience Bloom,' a conceptual framework linking perceptions of resilience to practical coastal management strategies. It highlights the need for policy agendas to embrace social-ecological interdependence to foster a shared, stakeholder-driven vision of climate-resilient coastal landscapes. This research advances understanding by demonstrating how path dependencies and institutional priorities shape the acceptance of new approaches, while also identifying place-specific conditions that facilitate resilience shifts.

Lindstedt, N. C., & Trell, E.-M. (2025). Resilience to wad? Exploring different perceptions of resilience and coastal protection measures among key stakeholders at the German Wadden Sea. Erdkunde, 79(3/4), 247–265. https://doi.org/10.3112/erdkunde.2025.03.07