Climate change has had profound effects on coastal ecosystems, including sea level rise, ocean acidification, and extreme weather events. These impacts have left vulnerable populations in coastal areas, particularly fishing communities, struggling to maintain their livelihoods, subsistence, and cultural practices that rely on a healthy ecosystem. The existing body of research has examined the impacts of climate change on fishing communities and their perceptions and responses to environmental issues. However, these studies have employed diverse conceptual and methodological approaches. Therefore, our study aimed to identify the key concepts, frameworks, challenges, and trends evident in these previous studies. To achieve this objective, we conducted a comprehensive literature review of 34 papers and employed both quantitative and qualitative analyses to evaluate them. Our analysis revealed several primary challenges encountered in these studies, including insufficient data availability, variations in data quality, difficulties in effective communication with local communities, and inadequate inclusion of women's knowledge and perspectives. By recognizing these challenges, we can highlight areas for improvement and further research. The findings of our study indicate that the most prevalent frameworks utilized in the selected studies can be classified into three groups: Local knowledge, which focused on understanding the perceptions of climate change impacts among small-scale fishers; Vulnerability, which aimed to comprehend the components and measurements of vulnerability in fishing communities; and Adaptation and Resilience, which explored how these communities respond to climatic events. Furthermore, our study identified emerging trends in the development of research on local knowledge, gender roles, and adaptive capacity within fishing communities. In conclusion, this study serves as a general guide and starting point for refining and enhancing frameworks used to investigate the effects of climate change on small-scale fisheries.
Carvalho, DAD; Amaral, S; Alves, LM
Climate change adaptation frameworks in fishing communities: A systematic review
Ocean & Coastal Management