Assessing coastal development impacts on Indigenous Peoples

Assessing coastal development impacts on Indigenous Peoples | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Assessing coastal development impacts on Indigenous Peoples Sebastian Villasante, Julia Tovar Verba, Veronica Relano, Silvia Gomez, and 15 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7553135/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Socio-environmental conflicts are increasing in coastal areas across the world, with significant impacts on coastal environments and people. Owing to their location at the meeting of the land and the sea, coastal regions are experiencing growing population, development, tourism pressure, and industrial pressures, including ports, roads and wind farms. There is also growing evidence that Indigenous Peoples are disproportionately impacted due to their historical and structural marginalization, leaving enduring legacies of cultural loss, social inequity, and ecological degradation. Yet, the specific impacts of extractive and industrial activities on coastal Indigenous communities and their livelihoods, remain understudied. Here, we present an analysis of 401 socio-environmental conflicts involving at least 275 Indigenous ethnic groups, extracted from the Environmental Justice Atlas (EJAtlas). Our findings reveal that the prevalence and intensity of conflicts are geographically uneven and primarily driven by impact sectors such as energy production, mining, biomass extraction, and commodity agriculture. The environmental consequences include biodiversity loss, degradation of landscapes and seascapes, and adverse social outcomes include effects on Indigenous Peoples’ well-being and mental health. Notably, 83 cases involved the destruction of or displacement from ancestral lands or sacred sites. Our analysis also highlights how the impacts of conflicts differed substantially by sector and the level of rights recognition in countries where conflicts occurred. In conclusion, we highlight the need to address coastal conflicts and mitigate their impacts on Indigenous Peoples. Recognizing, respecting and protecting Indigenous rights and values is critical to chart pathways toward more just and sustainable development in coastal areas worldwide. Environmental Economics Socio-environmental conflicts impacts Indigenous Peoples coastal zones Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7553135","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":511277356,"identity":"e07d4856-9506-40c7-9bc5-c56c5f6beeca","order_by":0,"name":"Sebastian 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