Climate resilience factors influencing coastal societies’ willingness to participate in protecting marine natural capital

Climate change and marine environmental degradation increasingly threaten coastal societies, marine biodiversity, and sustainable livelihoods in vulnerable coastal regions. This study examines resilience-oriented transdisciplinary actions related to climate change impacts on coastal communities in the Gorontalo Marine Geopark, Indonesia. The study integrates environmental awareness, climate literacy, adaptive planning, and community coping behavior within a transdisciplinary coastal resilience framework. A quantitative survey was conducted among coastal communities in Gorontalo using descriptive statistics, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), cluster analysis, and Probit-Logit regression models. The findings identified four major resilience dimensions: (1) resilience-oriented environmental interest and conservation awareness, (2) climate literacy and transdisciplinary learning capacity, (3) adaptive coastal planning and governance preparedness, and (4) community coping, collective action, and adaptive behavioral responses. Environmental concern regarding marine debris accumulation, whale shark habitat protection, and biodiversity degradation emerged as the strongest driver of participation in marine conservation and climate adaptation activities. Cluster analysis further revealed four community segments consisting of coastal resilience-oriented, adaptive planning-oriented, climate literacy-oriented, and interest-oriented groups. The regression results confirmed that all resilience factors significantly and positively influenced willingness to participate in marine conservation and coastal adaptation programs. The study highlights the importance of integrating environmental awareness, interdisciplinary learning, participatory governance, and community-based adaptation within marine climate policy frameworks.