Systematic literature review on climate change adaptation strategies of coastal communities in Southeast Asia

Coastal populations in Southeast Asia are highly vulnerable to climate change impacts. This systematic review synthesizes peer-reviewed literature from 2020-2025 retrieved from Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar, focusing on climate change adaptation strategies in 10 Southeast Asian coastal countries. Eligible studies (n = 51) were analyzed through thematic coding, identifying 104 distinct adaptation strategies across 7 themes: ecosystem-based adaptation (21%), livelihood diversification (19%), early warning systems and disaster preparedness (16%), climate-resilient agriculture and fisheries (14%), infrastructure-based adaptation (11%), marine resource management and co-governance (10%), and traditional and indigenous practices (9%). Key adaptation strategies included mangrove restoration (reduces erosion and storm surges), sustainable aquaculture, disaster preparedness, and livelihood diversification (mitigates income loss from saline intrusion). Ecosystem-based and livelihood diversification approaches improve ecological stability, financial security, and community adaptive capacity, strengthening overall resilience. However, their long-term sustainability remains uncertain due to limited long-term evaluations, insufficient cost-effectiveness analysis, and weak alignment with national policies; in fact, most initiatives remain project-specific with limited evaluation of long-term effectiveness or cost-efficiency. Furthermore, equity considerations such as gender, poverty, and resource access are insufficiently integrated, potentially excluding marginalized groups. A critical gap persists between community-led innovations and national or regional adaptation frameworks, raising questions of scalability, funding, and policy alignment with national adaptation plans and nationally determined contributions. This review identifies the need for inclusive, equity-focused, and longitudinal research that links grassroots strategies with governance structures, ensuring sustained climate resilience for Southeast Asian coastal communities.