Challenges for a sustainable blue economy: A comparative analysis of resilience and coastal governance in Southern Europe

Abstract

Coastal blue economies face intensifying pressures from climate change, biodiversity loss and systemic uncertainty, making resilience a central concept in coastal governance. This article advances a socio-ecological-technological (SET) system framework to analyse how resilience is interpreted and operationalised in practice, drawing on a comparative study of Malta and the Algarve (Portugal). Based on interviews with public, private, academic and civil society actors, the study examines how governance arrangements shape resilience across system dimensions. Empirically, resilience is predominantly framed as the capacity to sustain economic continuity under uncertainty. Ecological systems are valued for buffering and recovery functions, and technological innovation is directed towards efficiency gains and infrastructural optimisation, reinforcing incremental adaptation rather than systemic transformation. The study conceptualises resilience as both a process and an outcome of institutional interactions and governance across system components. For policy, the findings highlight the need to institutionalise anticipatory planning, cross-sectoral coordination and long-term investment strategies that move beyond recovery towards transformative blue economy strategies.