Addressing the climate crisis on the coastal ecosystem using the Agenda 2030

The coastal zone includes a large share of the economic activity and the social development while the last years is getting even more vulnerable to climate crisis. Sea level rise and coastal erosion are the major threats of climate crisis to the coastal ecosystems. Among the multiple impacts of the sea level rise is the destruction of arable land and urban settlements, the displacement of marine and freshwater species, and the loss of coastal habitats. Climate crisis on the coastal zone can affect important sectors, like coastal property and infrastructure, coastal ecosystems and lead to land loss. Drivers from anthropogenic activities, such us the industrial development and tourism, act significant pressures to the coastal environment. Coastal ecosystems are crucial for the economy in regional, national, and international level. The adoption of a sustainable blue economy framework in the coastal zone is required for the protection of the coastal ecosystem from climate change. At the same time, the Agenda 2030 is characterized as the final call to stop the irreversible damage to the planet. With the extreme natural hazards and weather conditions, climate crisis underlines its presence, while the goals of the Agenda 2030 are more topical than ever. Under this scheme, a major challenge is the assessment of the Sustainable Development Goals regarding their importance for a sustainable blue economy in the coastal ecosystems. This study presents an approach for the analysis and the prioritization of the SDGs for the sustainable blue economy in a coastal industrialized ecosystem. The analysis of the SDGs is conducted in correspondence with the ecosystem services provided by the coastal industrialized ecosystem. Outcome of this approach is a decision-making tool that classifies the SDGs with a corresponding factor, according to their importance for the sustainable blue economy of the coastal ecosystem. Through the application of this approach, stakeholders can obtain information on which SDGs they should focus on and helping them prioritize their actions toward the achievement of a sustainable blue economy in the coastal ecosystem. Case study of this research is a coastal ecosystem in Athens metropolitan area (Greece), that includes intense industrial activity, important cultural heritage and a protected wetland. The application of this approach in the study area, indicates that 5 SDGs have a leading role to the achievement of sustainability in the coastal zone, while their accomplishment will improve the services and the goods provided by this ecosystem to the society.