The Future Earth Coasts (FEC) continues advancing coastal sustainability through its dynamic ‘Tour de Coasts’ initiative. For the second year in a row, the flagship project convened an audience of researchers, policymakers, and community leaders at the Sustainability, Research and Innovation Congress (SRI) 2025. One stand-out panel discussion at the SRI 2025, “Tour de Coasts: Insights from the Global Coastal Sustainability Survey,” took place on June 16, 2025 in Chicago, IL, USA. The ‘Tour de Coasts’ session provided an extensive exploration of coastal challenges and community-driven solutions from around the world.
Launched in 2023 by Future Earth Coasts in collaboration with the University of South Carolina and Sciences for Sustainable Earth, the ‘Tour de Coasts’ set out to capture global perspectives on coastal sustainability. The goals of the ‘Tour de Coasts’ were to form a knowledge exchange about priority coastal sustainability concerns and to create a comprehensive understanding of coastal sustainability challenges and opportunities from a global perspective.
At the SRI 2025, the team introduced cornerstone achievement results: A global survey conducted in 2024 received over 200 responses from more than 70 countries. The survey illuminated a wide range of definitions of sustainability, barriers, contributions, and priorities in achieving coastal sustainability. The results also elevated promising local strategies and success stories from the frontlines of coastal action. The data highlighted the importance of both global collaboration and local leadership.
Dr. Xiaoyu Fang of Future Earth Coasts opened the session and set the stage by outlining the vision and evolution of ‘Tour de Coasts.’ Dr. Katya Altman presented the survey results, emphasizing both the common challenges and the locally developed, community-led innovations. “Connect with the FEC network, share your work and regional stories,” Altman emphasized continuous engagement, “let’s co-create a resilient future together!”
Two powerful case studies followed. Dr. Dwayne E. Porter shared insights from the EJ Strong initiative in South Carolina, which strengthens disaster risk reduction and recovery through community capacity building and environmental justice. Dr. Heath Kelsey spotlighted work in New Caledonia and Fiji, where participatory governance and co-design approaches are helping communities define their own priorities for sustainability and resilience.
The formal part of the session concluded with a presentation by Dr. Anja Scheffers, who outlined the way forward in achieving coastal sustainability, including investment in governance and leadership, mobilizing funding, advancing transdisciplinary research, empowering communities and youth, scaling up successful solutions, and fostering collaboration and accountability.
The session continued with a lively discussion and engaging Question and Answer time that once again emphasized the importance of the community taking ownership and outlining priorities in addressing sustainability concerns. What set this session apart was its commitment to equity and collaboration. The panel underscored the importance of integrating local and Indigenous knowledge, fostering co-designed decision-making, and prioritizing community-led solutions. Participants left the room not only with new data and case examples, but also with actionable strategies to replicate, scale, and adapt across coastal contexts globally.
The ‘Tour de Coasts’ session aligned closely with the SRI 2025 themes of One Health and Collaborative Decision-Making. By bridging science, policy, and lived experience, it sparked powerful conversations and forged new connections. As coastal communities confront rising challenges and shifting conditions, the message from SRI 2025 is clear: Sustainable futures are not only possible but they are also already being imagined and built by communities around the world.
Stay tuned for more updates and opportunities to engage by visiting https://www.futureearthcoasts.org/tour-de-coasts/ and following us on LinkedIn at Future Earth Coasts.