Raising public awareness of maritime risk and disseminating information about disaster prevention and reduction are the most frequent ways that the government incorporates citizens in marine disaster risk management (DRM). However, these measures are deemed to be insufficient to drive the participation rate. This study aims to understand the participation trend of citizens in marine DRM. On the basis of the theory of citizen participation’s ladder, public participation within marine DRM is categorized into non-participation, tokenistic participation, and substantive participation. Using organization theory, the government’s strategies for encouraging participation are classified into common approach (raising awareness), structural approach (innovating instruments), and cultural approach (developing citizenship). Considering the vignette experiment of 403 citizens in a coastal city of China that has historically been subject to marine disasters, it was found that effectiveness of the strategies, from highest to lowest, are citizenship development, risk education, and instruments innovation. At the individual level, psychological characteristics such as trust in the government, past disaster experience, and knowledge of marine DRM did not significantly influence citizens’ participation preferences. At the government level, even when citizens are informed about new participatory mechanisms and tools, they still tend to be unwilling to share responsibilities. However, self-efficacy and understanding the beneficial outcomes of their participation in marine (DRM) can positively impact the willingness to participate. The results show that to encourage public participation substantively in the marine DRM, it is important to cultivate a sense of civic duty and enhance citizens’ sense of ownership, fostering a closer and more equitable partnership between the state and society.

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