Nature-based solutions for coastal protection: Untangling public knowledge and perception across Europe

The use of nature-based solutions (NBSs) in coastal management strategies is gaining popularity, with broad consensus on the critical role of public engagement in assessing the benefits of sustainable practices. However, the number of existing studies that tackle public knowledge and perception of NBSs in coastal management is still low and most studies only target specific communities. As a result, it is challenging to determine whether these findings reflect general trends or are influenced by unique circumstances in the studied communities. To clarify this, it is essential to assess the broader public perspective on the use of NBSs in coastal management. Here we assess the results of a pilot study conducted across Europe to evaluate technical experts’ and community members’ knowledge and perception on the use of NBSs for coastal protection. The evaluation was conducted by collecting responses provided to a survey distributed via social media. The study focuses on three countries: United Kingdom, Netherlands and Italy. The survey revealed common trends across the three countries. There is general support for the application of these solutions in coastal management amongst both groups, which correlates positively with concern for flooding and erosion. While technical experts have a solid understanding of the topic, which corresponds to a considerable degree of awareness and a higher level of consciousness regarding NBSs implementation, the community members’ support is accompanied by an overall more limited knowledge of what NBSs entail (higher amongst residents of coastal areas) but also a considerable desire for more sustainable and eco-friendly management practices. While offering an initial insight into public perceptions of NBSs for coastal planners, these results can also guide larger-scale perception studies, provide a framework for interpreting community-scale research, and highlight opportunities to improve knowledge exchange between technical experts and community members.