Advancing coastal zone legislation in China’s new era: a comprehensive analysis of local legislation

Abstract Coastal zones, while rich in natural resources, are highly vulnerable ecosystems. Consequently, their legal protection has become a widely recognized societal priority. Currently, China lacks national-level legislation specifically governing coastal zone protection and management. However, the development of local coastal zone legislation has provided valuable experiences and lessons, serving as an important foundation for future national legislation. Despite this progress, comprehensive research on local coastal zone legislation remains limited, and its role in informing national-level legislation has not been sufficiently analyzed. This study conducts macro- and micro-level examinations of local coastal zone legislative texts in China, identifying their strengths and weaknesses to offer insights for national legislation. The findings highlight several strengths, including the incorporation of regional characteristics, the establishment of a systematic framework for coastal zone protection, and the promotion of integrated land–sea management. However, local legislation also faces significant challenges, such as a lower legislative hierarchy, fragmented legislative efforts, inadequate management systems, and piecemeal legislation. Based on these findings, the study proposes a legal framework for national coastal zone legislation, emphasizing the need to define legislative objectives and fundamental principles, delineate the scope and boundaries of coastal zones, establish a coordinated and integrated management mechanism, and adopt appropriate comprehensive management systems. This study provides theoretical support for the formulation of national coastal zone legislation.