Page 85 - Livre_MOW2022_EN

RESILIENT COASTS | 83

… A CHANGE IN PHILOSOPHY … NETWORKING

“We need to identify options for the long term and offer Local, regional and global networks are endeavouring to
flexibility”, adds marine biologist Hans-Otto Pörtner. A speed up the resilience process, which is worth consi-
stance shared by the speakers of the first panel, inclu- dering from an interdependence point of view. Since
ding the Director of Enviromer, Tanya Brodie Rudolph, 1990 the ICLEI network groups together 2,500 cities
9
who is calling for a new narrative inspired by nature and governments from 125 countries, around a United
and based on interdependence at all territorial levels, Nations backed nature-based programme.
from the locality to the “global village”. She provides
the example of the new urban planning scheme for Other networks are being developed, such as CitiesWit-
San Francisco Bay: “They created a secure coastal hNature (216 cities from 61 countries), a platform pro-
area and people who decide to live there have to pay moting green infrastructure and ecosystem protection,
a tax”. In Camargue, the partial rewilding of the Rhone and the Climate and Ocean Risk Vulnerability Index
Delta, with the disuse of the sea dike, is significant. (CORVI), which quantifies the various risks at urban level.

“Adaptation can help us to alleviate certain pressures, Engaged by the Ocean & Climate Platform, the Sea’ties
such as soil loss and climate emigration”, adds Ro- network connects 88 pilot sites concerning coastal resi-
bert Nicholls, Director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate lience, creating inspiring and powerful synergy at global
Change, who qualifies the process as a “marathon”. level. Last, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate &
“We should consider the current limitations of territo- Energy includes close to 12,000 cities worldwide invol-
ries as signs of mitigation”, said Senegalese PhD stu- ved in climate leadership (See interview page 86).
dent, Awa Bousso Drame, responsible for the coastal
resilience programme at the West African Regional
Coastal Observatory. … AND APPROPRIATE
FINANCIAL MECHANISMS
The question of scale was also raised by Samantha
Box, Team Leader at Coastal Partners, who is wor- The focus of the 4 session looked at the different
th
king on the implementation of adaptation measures mechanisms for blue investments (accelerators,
on the English coastline: “With an effective partnership incubators, carbon credits…) to foster territorial resi-
we have been able to deliver more results, be more lience. The speakers in turn stressed the importance
collaborative and more efficient for our communities”. of science’s contribution in promoting a low-risk in-
This same question concerns the positioning of island vestment approach for Nature-based Solutions, and
territories, as confirmed by the representatives of the cooperation opportunities with the private sector in
Seychelles and Saint Kitts and Nevis: “In our reflection, the context of ecosystem restoration. The conference
we have moved from the status of Small Island State finally addressed concerns regarding climate justice
to that of Large Ocean State”, summed up the Minister and access to funding for developing countries, tem-
of Environment of the smallest State of America, Eric porality, as well as a new type of return on investment.
Evelyn.
9. The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives.

DID
YOU
KNOW?

WHY ARE SEA LEVELS INCREASING?
By absorbing the large majority of surplus heat due to greenhouse
gas emissions, the ocean heats up, which results in thermal expansion.
In addition to this, there is an increasing amount of water as a result
of the melting of polar ice caps and glaciers.