Coastal communities are highly vulnerable to climate-related disasters. Ecosystem-based approaches are crucial to adapting to climate change. It is paramount to foster social inclusion to assess people’s perception of nature as a tool for adaptation. KAPs are essential to gather baseline information that evaluate these perceptions. To date, for Trinidad and Tobago, there is no validated instrument to evaluate coastal communities’ KAP in relation to Ecosystem-based Approaches, DRR and CCA and as such, this study aims to develop and validate this instrument.