Mapping socio-institutional studies of biodiversity governance and climate change justice in wetland ecosystems

Climate change is identified as a major threat to biodiversity, particularly wetlands, which cause or exacerbate injustice in societies. Overcoming injustice can support sustainable governance, including respecting and securing vulnerable groups’ rights and enhancing the ecological integrity of biologically diverse areas. A major challenge to achieving transformative governance is how actions to mitigate biodiversity loss or social injustice can lead to socio-ecological sustainability. Governance and climate change justice are complex, multidisciplinary, and multidimensional concepts that are increasingly used in disaster and climate change studies. This study examines the trend, similarities, differences, and linkage of biodiversity governance and climate change justice in wetlands using a bibliometric analysis in three periods of 1973–2000, 2001–2014, and 2015–2023, including reviewing their historical development, keywords, citation and co-citations, institutions, and country-wise. A rapidly growing number of publications regarding these concepts have been produced by different countries, particularly by institutions in developed countries. Governance and adaptation are connected to other concepts and are key concepts for integrated research on wetlands. Climate justice and governance can be bridging concepts in wetland ecosystem conservation. Developing a common understanding of climate change justice and biodiversity governance among relevant stakeholders is essential. Future studies should identify how to integrate climate change adaptation and mitigation with wetland governance. • Socio-institutional studies are essential for biodiversity governance and climate justice. •Publications on these concepts have increased rapidly, mostly from developed countries. •Climate justice and governance are bridging concepts in wetland ecosystems conservation. •A common understanding of climate justice and biodiversity governance is needed by stakeholders. •Bibliographic, narrative, and thematic analyses are viewed as complementary techniques.