Decoding Decisions About Decisions: Enhancing Process Literacy to Support Environmental Democracy and Increase Justice in Marine and Coastal Regulation

Abstract

This paper explores how coastal development decisions are made, using case studies from the UK nations of England, Wales and Scotland. Through analyzing three decision-making processes – Southsea Coastal Defence Scheme (England), Sullom Voe Harbor Area Masterplan (Shetland, Scotland) and The Welsh National Marine Plan (Wales) – claims of transparency, accountability and justice related to the processes through which the marine and coastal environment is governed are explored along with the challenges inherent in managing complex socio-spatial environments. Our thematic analysis aligns with the Aarhus convention, with a focus on procedural justice related to marine and coastal management decisions. We use the Aarhus convention as a framework to critique the processes, evidenced within the publicly available grey literature pertaining to the cases, revealing insights into the need to reconsider how the processes themselves have been developed and whether they are as transparent and accessible as required, to achieve equitable outcomes. Our findings assert the need for coastal and marine managers to explore ways to increase “process literacy” – which we introduce as a concept and approach for increasing justice within decision-making and align with the environmental democratic requirements of the Aarhus Convention – through first reflecting on their own knowledge of the wider governance systems within which their decision-making occurs. This capacity building would allow for more democratic and accountable decision-making and provide increased confidence in undertaking meaningful public engagement on coastal environmental management. Specific recommendations are made for enhancing decision-making in the UK context but also have wider application for public engagement in environmental management for marine, coastal and terrestrial regulators around the world.