The vulnerability of communities to losses in marine ecosystem services varies within and among communities. Tourists seeking to replace lost cultural services can adapt by engaging in the activity elsewhere. But communities who depend on tourism for income or who have strong cultural identity linked to the ocean have a more difficult time. Furthermore, climate-change impacts exacerbate existing inequalities already experienced by some communities, including Indigenous Peoples, Pacific Island countries and territories and marginalised peoples, such as migrants and women in fisheries and mariculture. These inequities increase the risk to their fundamental human rights by disrupting livelihoods and food security, while leading to loss of social, economic and cultural rights. These maladaptive outcomes can be avoided by securing tenure and access rights to resources and territories for all people depending on the ocean, and by supporting decision-making processes that are just, participatory and equitable.
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report