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Managing our Coast in a Changing Climate – from the SW Coastal Change Conference

  • by JW

Last week, the Devon Maritime Forum held its conference on coastal change and climate emergency in Plymouth:

South West coastal change: challenges for Sidmouth

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And very successful it was too – with attendance by Cllr Geoff Jung, chair of the Sidmouth BMP steering group  – as well as stakeholder members of the steering group Robert Crick of the VGS and Tony Burch, who gave a presentation at the conference.

Here’s the report:

South West Coastal Change Conference 2019

26th November 2019 – University of Plymouth, Marine Station

Organised and hosted by the DMF in partnership with the University of Plymouth and Royal HaskoningDHV

Managing our Coast in a Changing Climate

What does it mean to manage our coast in the context of a climate emergency? How much will sea-levels rise in the next 50, 100, 300 years? Are we facing up to the inevitability of future coastal change? Are existing policies and practice fit for purpose? Where, how and when, should we think beyond ‘hold the line’? What are the challenges and opportunities of working with natural processes at the coast? How do we further integrate FCERM into Local Planning? What are the relationships between the FCERM and the health and well-being agendas? How, when and where can we better communicate and engage with impacted communities?

These were some of the questions that were addressed at the inaugural South West Coastal Change Conference on the 26th November 2019 at the Marine Station on the shores of Plymouth Sound. Organised and hosted by the Devon Maritime Forum, in partnership with the Marine Institute, University of Plymouth and Royal HaskoningDHV this event offered an unrivalled regional opportunity to hear the very latest thinking on this critical issue and to contribute to the conversation.

#SWCoastalChange19 shaped up to be one of the best events the Forum has put together: a venue at full capacity; an exceptional range of speakers working at the forefront of ‘coastal change’ research, policy and practice; and a really engaged, passionate and diverse audience.

Presentations

  • Prof. Ed Maltby (Devon Maritime Forum) ‘Intro Slide

Session I – The Urgency

Session II – Beyond Hold the Line

Session III – Planning for Coastal Change

Session IV – Community: Engagement, Health and Well-Being

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