Nature-based solutions to coastal protection and restoration will be discussed at a workshop in University College Cork (UCC) on Tuesday June 30th.
Leading researchers, practitioners, policymakers and international experts plan to explore the science and practice of coastal nature-based solutions at the workshop, which is booked out in person but online registration is available.
Dr Louise Firth, senior lecturer in environmental sustainability at UCC’s School of Biology, Earth and Environmental Sciences, explains that coastal communities around the world are facing increasing challenges from climate change, sea-level rise and biodiversity loss.
As Afloat has reported, Dr Firth led the “Living Seawalls” project in Cobh, Cork harbour, (pictured above) which is designed to transform traditional coastal infrastructure into habitat that supports marine life.
“ Nature-based solutions are increasingly recognised as a vital part of the response — but how do we move from small-scale demonstrations to meaningful implementation at the scales required for the future?” she says, outlining the theme of the event.
The programme features:
- Coastal restoration in Ireland — including saltmarsh, oyster reefs, horse mussel reefs, kelp farming and community-led biodiversity restoration
- Hybrid infrastructure and implementation pathways — from Living Seawalls to participatory co-design and governance
- International perspectives — featuring keynote speaker Professor Katherine Dafforn (Stone Living Lab, Boston) on nature-based solutions for climate resilience in Boston Harbour
The morning and early afternoon talks (09:30–14:05 IST/UTC+1) will be streamed online and are open to all registered participants.
An afternoon stakeholder workshop and expert roundtable (14:20–16:50) are in-person sessions only.
The event, entitled Coastal Nature-Based Solutions: Restoration, Hybrid Infrastructure and Implementation, takes place at UCC Centre for Executive Education and online registration can be found here
