Climate change remains a defining challenge of the twenty-first century, profoundly impacting ecosystems, economies, and human settlements. Among its consequences, the intensification of flood risks in coastal cities poses a critical threat to sustainable development, particularly in the Global South. This study bridges climate change-induced flooding scenarios with urban growth modelling, integrating Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) into the SLEUTH model to simulate future urban trajectories and assess flood exposure under varying climate and socioeconomic conditions. Leveraging Earth observation information products, flood hazard scenarios based on Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and high-resolution (30 m) urban growth projections, this study evaluates coastal, fluvial, and pluvial flood exposure for nine coastal agglomerations with diverse socioeconomic and environmental contexts. Urban growth projections under SSP1/RCP2.6, SSP2/RCP4.5, and SSP5/RCP8.5 scenarios reveal significant variability in urban expansion rates, with four cities projected to expand by over 50% by 2050. Flood exposure assessments for the target year 2050 reveal nuanced spatial and scenario-dependent patterns across all flood types: Surabaya (Indonesia) faces severe coastal flooding (up to 83 km² under SSP5/RCP8.5), while Guayaquil (Ecuador) and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) experience extensive risks of fluvial flood exposure, with over 37% of newly developed areas inundated in Guayaquil. Notably, the SSP2/RCP4.5 “Middle of the Road” scenario yields the lowest flood exposure in Khulna (Bangladesh) and Surabaya, whereas SSP1/RCP2.6 and SSP5/RCP8.5 project 30% to over 70% higher exposure in these cities. Disproportionate exposure to inundation in newly urbanized areas, particularly for Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and Guayaquil, underscores potential risks associated with rapid and uninformed urbanization into flood prone regions. These findings emphasize the dual role of high radiative forcing climate scenarios and socioeconomic pathways in shaping flood exposure and associated risks, advocating for integrated strategies that combine climate mitigation with proactive, scenario-based urban planning.

Since the beginning of the last century, anthropic interventions and activities have intensified on the Atlantic coast of Uruguay, generating important pressures, disturbances and negative impacts. It is the case of a coast characterized by extensive systems of mobile dunes that crossed beach arcs delimited by rocky extremities, lagoons and coastal marshes. From that moment on, a transformation process was triggered that involved the afforestation and fixation of the dunes and their subsequent urbanization and commercialization, which we call anthropogenic driver. With the passage of time, this driver has produced a hardening and shrinking of the coast that, ironically, affects anthropic urban infrastructures, mainly due to the erosive action of waves and the flooding of low-lying areas. This study analyzes the main causes of coastal system dysfunctions that have triggered various problems and conflicts at the socio-ecological level and that position the coast as a zone of environmental conflict. We examine the alterations in sediment recirculation caused by the fixation of dune systems, in particular the bypass between the rocky extremities of the beach arches, and make an estimate of the amount of sediment transported by wind and marine action, as a way to identify sediment inputs and outputs of the coastal system. We found that the erosive process currently observed can be explained by an important deficit of sediment in the aeolian transport from the dune systems. At present, almost all of the dune systems are already fixed and urbanized. Sediment inputs depend on what can be mobilized from the beach and foreshore by longshore littoral drift, where wave action and sea level are beginning to play an increasingly important role. It is expected that if current climatic and anthropic occupation trends continue, erosion will increase in several sectors of Uruguay's coast, with the process of anthropic forcing taking priority over sea level rise due to climatic changes, with significant environmental and therefore socioeconomic and cultural impacts. Future coastal zone management should focus on preserving areas that are exempt or underdeveloped in terms of urban infrastructure and provide space for coastal zone readjustment.

This study investigates the interconnections between marine resource management, local livelihoods, and governance structures at the Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Site in Ghana. Employing a mixed-methods approach guided by the Social-Ecological Systems (SES) Framework, the study combines qualitative interviews and focus group discussions with quantitative survey data from 302 respondents across three coastal communities. Findings reveal that marine resources, particularly fishing, are central to the socioeconomic fabric of these communities. Livelihood outcomes are significantly influenced by financial, natural, human, social, and physical capital, with financial capital emerging as the strongest predictor of these outcomes. However, challenges such as institutional overlaps, inadequate infrastructure, limited access to credit, and exclusion of women and youth from decision-making constrain sustainable governance. The study emphasizes the necessity for an inclusive, decentralized co-governance framework that combines traditional conservation practices with contemporary regulatory systems. Policy recommendations include the formation of a Multi-Stakeholder Lagoon Management Board, community-based monitoring, microcredit schemes, and investments in cold storage and aquaculture. These findings offer actionable pathways for enhancing ecological resilience and improving the livelihoods of coastal populations.

Historically, human populations have mainly settled along the coast. In Europe, around 200 million people, almost a third of the total population, live within 50 km of the sea. This high population density, coupled with intense human activity, has played a key role in the degradation of the natural coastal environment. In these vulnerable areas, a serious issue is coastal erosion, driven by natural forces and human actions. Considering these dynamics, proper coastal management requires identifying the adverse factors that could compromise the use of coastal resources for future generations. In this context, the beach's evolution and the potential impact of urban expansion over the last century were examined through a diachronic analysis. To this end, a semi-quantitative approach integrating the Digital Shoreline Analysis System and GIS-based spatial analysis algorithms was implemented. The study focused on the territories of Bagnara Calabra and Favazzina sites in the Calabria Region (southern Italy), which are characterized by long-term urbanisation and ongoing coastal erosion. The study also classified shoreline sectors according to their physical vulnerability, combining indicators of beach width and rate of shoreline change to highlight the most susceptible areas. These results shed light on the interactions between natural processes and human activities that affect the coastline evolution. They provide decision-makers with a valuable tool for implementing sustainable coastal protection and management strategies.

Marine pollution threatens ocean ecosystems and human health through eutrophication, bioaccumulation, and habitat degradation. This article discusses chemical contaminants, nutrient pollution and eutrophication, marine debris, ocean noise pollution, global and regional hotspots of ocean pollution, the impact of pollution on marine biodiversity, mitigation strategies and global effects, restoration and cleanup efforts, and challenges and future outlooks in marine pollution. The excess nutrient levels disturb ecological balances, cause harmful algal blooms, and threaten biodiversity and coastal economies. While plastic pollution has received widespread attention, marine debris also includes non-plastic materials such as metal, glass, rubber, and textiles. Ocean noise pollution, primarily from shipping, seismic exploration, and military sonar, significantly disrupts marine ecosystems by interfering with the communication, navigation, and behavioral patterns of marine species. The buildup of plastic gyres such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a key contributor to global ocean pollution. Remote polar regions can also show significant accumulation of pollutants due to long-distance marine and atmospheric transportation. Multi-faceted and integrated approaches, such as global regulatory frameworks, technological innovation, waste management improvement, and public engagement, are required to decrease ocean pollution. The growing awareness of marine pollution, especially for plastic debris, has fueled the pick-up trash before it disperses into the open ocean. Meanwhile, ecosystem restoration, ranging from mangrove replanting to coral reef rehabilitation, is crucial in rebuilding degraded marine habitats and promoting resilience to subsequent environmental and climatic pressures.