Revista Sextante

Maritime Domain Awareness and the Protection of Critical Coastal Infrastructure

Samuel Kiprono-Henriksen

Institute for Coastal Infrastructure Security and Resilience, Mombasa, Kenya

Keywords: maritime domain awareness, critical infrastructure, coastal security, early warning, resilience

Abstract

Critical coastal infrastructure, including ports, energy installations, submarine cables, pipelines and naval facilities, underpins trade, energy supply, communications and national security, yet it is exposed to a wide range of deliberate, accidental and natural threats arising from the open and shared maritime environment. This article examines the relationship between maritime domain awareness and the protection of critical coastal infrastructure. Drawing on situation awareness theory, maritime security studies, infrastructure interdependency research and work on anomaly detection and resilience, it analyses the infrastructure at stake, the threat landscape, sensors and data fusion, analytics for early warning, interagency coordination, legal frameworks and resilience. The analysis indicates that protection is strongest when awareness is integrated across agencies and operators, supported by diverse sensors and analytics, anchored in clear legal and policy arrangements and complemented by resilience planning. Limitations include uneven coverage, institutional barriers, false alarms and limited evidence of effectiveness. An illustrative figure summarises expected protection outcomes under isolated and integrated approaches.