Enhancing coastal public welfare through government support, service access, local institutions, and local economic development

Coastal communities play an essential role in regional development, yet they continue to face structural challenges such as limited access to basic services, weak institutional capacity, and fluctuating economic activities. These issues contribute to persistent welfare disparities, particularly in archipelagic regions. This study examines the determinants of public welfare in coastal communities by integrating four key constructs: Local Government Support (LGS), Access to Basic Services (ABS), Local Institutions (LI), and Local Economic Development (LED). A quantitative design was employed using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) with 209 respondents from coastal areas in the Riau Islands Province, Indonesia. The findings show that LGS significantly influences ABS, LI, LED, and Public Welfare (PW). ABS and LI also play critical roles in strengthening LED and improving PW, while LED contributes positively to welfare outcomes. Overall, 85.2% of the variance in PW is explained by the four constructs, indicating strong predictive power. The study contributes to coastal development literature by offering an integrated model that demonstrates how governance, service access, institutional strength, and local economic capacity jointly shape welfare. Practically, the results highlight the importance of strengthening government intervention, improving basic services, empowering local institutions, and promoting sustainable local economic development to enhance coastal community welfare.