Assessing the resilience of marine ecological-economic systems: A multi-level approach for sustainable coastal governance

With the increasing high-risk factors in a changing world, building a resilient marine economy is becoming increasingly essential for sustainable coastal governance. This study aimed to assess the resilience of marine ecological-economic systems (MEES) using a multi-level approach. Using Chinese coastal regions as an example, we first developed a conceptual framework to establish the indicators for measuring the resilience of MEES. Subsequently, the study introduced the projection pursuit model, coupling coordination model, and correlation network analysis to unpack the system complexities of resilience development at different levels. The results revealed that the resilience of MEES has expanded nearly twice over the last decade, which is largely attributed to the implementation of a national strategy for building maritime power. Spatial disparities in resilience have increasingly become obvious, with developed regions commonly achieving higher resilience levels while less developed regions present inadequate resilience growth because of a lack of robustness and recoverability. In addition, the coordination of the resilience dimensions has shifted from mild disorder to primary coordination. The resilience indicators related to technological inputs had higher network centralities and significantly affected the dynamics of MEES resilience. The study’s findings provide useful implications for guiding policy arrangements and planning practices in the Chinese coastal regions.