Page 84 - Livre_MOW2022_EN

82 | RESILIENT COASTS
IN
FIGURES
(sources: IPCC)

Because when they are protected, coastal ecosystems ■ 17 cm: the increase to the ocean level
provide key services that improve climate resilience in the course of the 20 century
th
and safeguard both the blue economy and human
well-being. The habitability of the world’s cities and ■ 570 cities threatened by rising sea levels
worldwide
coastlines is more than ever tightly connected to the
destinies of coastal habitats, which are capable of sto-
ring blue carbon, protecting communities from storms, ESTIMATIONS
and improving water quality as well as fish production.
■ 60 to 110 cm: the estimated increase
in the ocean level by 2100 depending
Placed under the presidency of HSH Prince Albert II of on greenhouse gas emissions, i.e.
Monaco, the conference brought together thirty or so an increase rate 2 x faster on an
high-level speakers and many partners of the Monaco acceleration curve
Yacht Club on 25 March 2022. Throughout the confe- ■ 1 billion people will be exposed
rence, recommendations were put forward for coastal to coastal risks by 2050
resilience, which could be used by governments, in-
dustry and civil society, as well as mayors. Organised ■ 600,000 cities affected by rising sea
by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation in coo- levels by 2050 (source ORRA)
peration with the Stimson Centre and the Ocean & Cli-
mate Platform, the conference was officially approved
by the United Nations as an Ocean Decade event.

COASTAL RESILIENCE
DEMANDS A NEW

NARRATIVE

FOUNDED ON SCIENCE…

“Rising sea levels are a threat multiplier”, as indicated
by the Vice-President of the second IPCC taskforce ,
8
Hans-Otto Pörtner, who presented the latest climate
report. Experts recommend various mitigation and
adaptation measures depending on the climate sce-
narios specific to each region.

The context of cities, “with a concentration of these
issues and having a key role to play” drew the experts’
attention who prioritise measures specific to the urban
context: building upwards, creating biostructures, ur-
ban planning, moving away from the coast, but above
all protecting marine ecosystems to increase their ca-
pacity of services rendered to society, such as their
protective role in relation to extreme climate events.

8. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.