Resident and Decision-maker Perspectives on Coastal Erosion in Ventura County, California

• In Event: Student Research: Public Attitudes, Communication, and Policy Acceptance

Abstract

Perceptions of coastal erosion influence public support for adaptation and shape which adaptation options are considered preferable or feasible. However, governance challenges can arise when residents and decision-makers disagree on the causes, impacts, or preferred management approaches. This study examines resident and decision-maker perspectives in Ventura County, California—a region facing significant erosion and sea-level rise vulnerability and home to one of California's few successful managed retreat projects. We combine a resident survey (n = 90) with semi-structured interviews of 12 government and nonprofit decision-makers to ask: How do residents and decision-makers perceive the causes and impacts of erosion? What are residents' adaptation priorities? And to what extent do resident perceptions align with governance and physical realities? Results reveal key divergences. Residents view erosion as a future or externalized problem, attributing it primarily to storms and natural processes, and were more likely to consider erosion as a future problem or a problem for “others”, even though they value the coast. In contrast, decision-makers characterize it as an urgent, ongoing crisis driven by the built environment, sediment-supply disruption, and coastal armoring. Importantly, the decision-makers’ understanding of erosion is actionable – humans created the infrastructure and land-use patterns that are limiting sediment, and we can therefore change that infrastructure. In contrast, residents’ understanding points entirely to external causes that humans cannot influence directly. Both groups favor living shorelines and beach nourishment, but with different expectations: residents emphasize sandy beaches and access, while decision-makers prioritize habitat restoration and managed retreat. Resident perceptions also exhibit spatial optimism and limited awareness of sediment dynamics. Decision-makers highlighted environmental justice concerns, noting that communities of color have received fewer planning resources despite facing disproportionate risks. By placing resident values and perceptions in direct dialogue with governance practices, this research seeks to examine where alignment and disagreement emerge and why those mismatches matter for climate adaptation. These findings illustrate how divergent perceptions can complicate adaptation and underscore the value of public education and inclusive planning processes for building effective and equitable coastal management.

Authors

• Mohammed W Bah, University of California, Irvine
  Presenting Author

• Nicola Ulibarri, University of California, Irvine
  Non-Presenting Co-Author