Page 64 - Livre_MOW2024_EN

62 | SUPPORTING INNOVATION

RISING WATERS
Is coastal resilience

within our grasp?

The Sea’ties initiative and its partners hosted a session
at Monaco Ocean Week addressing the urgent issue
of adapting coastal cities to rising sea levels – a crucial
subject for this Mediterranean event.

Members of the Ocean & Climate Platform’s Sea’ties
initiative gathered alongside representatives from COASTAL CITIES ON THE FRONTLINE
Entreprises pour l’Environnement, the Stimson
Center and the UN Global Compact Ocean How can coastal regions be redesigned to cope with rising sea levels?
Stewardship Coalition at the Novotel on 20 March There is no longer any doubt about the urgent need to adapt coastal
2024 to address the alarming prospect of rising sea cities to withstand the current and future impacts of sea level rise.
levels. Panellists called for increased cooperation between sectors and for
innovative solutions. Despite the progress in climate change mitigation,
According to a report by the Intergovernmental coastal regions still have a long way to go in adapting effectively:
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the increase business and regulatory incentives are weak, funding is insufficient and
has accelerated over the 20th century and sea there is little coordination between stakeholders. Local authorities face
levels could rise by more than one meter by 2100 incredibly complex, long-term challenges.
unless there is a drastic cut in greenhouse gas
emissions. Without immediate, appropriate action The panel discussion at Monaco Ocean Week acted as a forum where
this global phenomenon will trigger permanent leaders from various coastal cities around the world could share
land loss, floods, coastal erosion and extreme their experiences. First to take the floor was Tyller Williamson, Mayor
weather events, potentially putting the health, of Monterey, California, who admitted that “we need to start some
safety and livelihoods of coastal communities at difficult, uncomfortable conversations with our communities in order
risk, threatening critical infrastructure and causing to meet their needs and reduce inequality.” This view was echoed by
significant economic disruption. This high-level Burcu Kanbal, Project Manager at Kusadasi City Hall, who warned
event on an environmental and social issue of global that “rising sea levels don’t respect borders. We need to work with
significance highlighted the need for a coordinated our neighbours and peers to adapt”. Mathieu Kayser, Deputy Mayor of
response involving all stakeholders, including the Biarritz, followed, stressing the need to build capacity, secure targeted
private sector. funding and foster international cooperation. As the event progressed,
it became clear that community engagement and environmental justice
are essential if cities are to successfully adapt, highlighting the need for
educational activities to overcome local resistance to the necessary
measures.

Photo: Güvercinada Island, near Kusadasi city center
of Kusadasi, was opened to visitors in 2013 following
restoration and landscaping work carried out by the
municipality.
© Municipality of Kusadasi