RRR-Coast
Towards a green and inclusive post-pandemic recovery of the Blue Economy and coastal communities
This project aims to provide science-based guidance for post COVID recovery of coastal communities and sectors of the 'Blue Economy' through a trans-national comparative study across coastal areas in Costa Rica, Germany, Scotland (UK), and the USA. Coastal regions experienced significant drops in numbers of tourists and economic losses for other industries, which all impacted coastal communities. Impacts, responses and their consequences on vulnerabilities and equity in coastal communities, and potential for recovery, are so far under-studied.
The research will:
- Investigate the impacts of COVID-19 and subsequent response measures on the Blue Economy and specifically changing inequalities and vulnerabilities of selected coastal regions as well as their natural environment
- Assess opinions and preferences for recovery in each sector of the Blue Economy
- Investigate current financing as well as regulatory/policy bottlenecks towards a greener/more resilient and equitable future for the Blue Economy
- Characterise key enabling factors across all regions that lead to response performance so as to inform the development of future strategies for a green and inclusive coastal recovery, benchmarked against the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.
Funded By:
Principal Investigator:
- Professor Fabrice RenaudUniversity of Glasgow
Co-Investigators:
- Dr. Catalina Esquivel Rodriguez, University of Costa Rica
- Dr. Marta Vicarelli, University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Dr. Yvonne Walz, United Nations University, Bonn
- Dr. David Clelland, University of Glasgow
- Lisa Hartmann, United Nations University, Bonn
- Dr. Patrizia Riganti, University of Glasgow
News and Publications
May 2025
Do post-pandemic policies support green recovery?
In a blog for the University of Glasgow's Centre for Public Policy, David Clelland and Fabrice Renaud from the School of Social and Environmental Sustainability share insights from their research on how policies for post-pandemic recovery balanced economic, social and environmental goals, and what this might mean for future approaches to promoting sustainable development.
View Blog: Do post-pandemic policies support green recovery?
March 2025
A green and inclusive post-pandemic recovery of the Blue Economy and coastal communities
As part of this project, the research team conducted a survey of municipalities and planning agencies in Costa Rica, Germany, Massachusetts, and Scotland, from June 2023, to March, 2024. This gathered evidence on the perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on coastal regions, and on the characteristics and success of response measures. This report presents the results of this survey.
Full reference: Vicarelli M, Clelland D, Gavin P, Hartmann L, Renaud F, Rodriguez CE, Walz Y, Zadow J, Nestele J, Nthambi M and Rodriguez D (2025) A green and inclusive post-pandemic recovery of the Blue Economy and coastal communities: A survey of municipalities and administrative entities in Costa Rica, Germany, Scotland and Massachusetts (USA). Project Report, UMass Amherst.
October 2024
A conceptual framework for a post-COVID-19 green recovery of the Blue Economy
Our paper entitled “A conceptual framework for a post-COVID-19 green recovery of the Blue Economy” has been published in Marine Policy. This paper, led by Lisa Hartmann, addresses post-pandemic green recovery in the context of the Blue Economy. We developed a framework that sets out pillars of green recovery, and defines which components are key so that it can help us become more resilient: good governance, inclusivity and having no net negative impact on the environment..
View Article: A conceptual framework for a post-COVID-19 green recovery of the Blue Economy
Full reference: Hartmann L., Walz Y., Clelland D., Esquivel-Rodriguez C., Riganti P., Vicarelli M. & Renaud F.G. (2024). A conceptual framework for a post-COVID-19 green recovery of the Blue Economy. Marine Policy 106446. [CC BY].