Sea'ties
Facilitate the development and implementation of adaptation responses for coastal cities threatened by sea level rise
NEW
Publication of the policy recommendations for coastal cities to adapt to sea level rise
The “Policy Recommendations for Coastal Cities to Adapt to Sea Level Rise” draw upon the scientific expertise and on-the-ground experiences of over 230 practitioners convened in regional workshops and are supported by 80 organisations involved in the five continents.
Intended for local, national, regional and international decision-makers, they highlight four priority actions:
Solutions
Planning long-term adaptation responses tailored to the local context
Social Justice
Prioritising social imperatives in adaptation policies
Knowledge
Developing new ways to generate and share operational knowledge on adaptation
Finance
Building a sustainable finance approach for coastal cities
What is at stake?
Coastal cities facing sea level rise
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates that by 2100, without a drastic reduction of our greenhouse gases emissions, sea levels could rise by more than one meter, while associated extreme climate events are expected to become more frequent and intense. These phenomena will reshape all coastlines, where the population is most dense and continues to grow.
For coastal cities and their territories, the challenges at hand are colossal: ensuring the safety of residents, safeguarding critical infrastructure and ports, relocating homes or economic activities, along preserving natural areas. All of these issues need to be urgently addressed while simultaneously informing and engaging the entire population and relevant stakeholders.
Reimagining coastal cities and their territories, while considering social, economic, and environmental issues, will necessitate making critical and intricate decisions in the years ahead.
To learn more
About the sea'ties initiative
The Sea’ties Initiative aims to facilitate the development of public policies and the implementation of adaptation solutions to support coastal cities threatened by sea level rise.
Sea’ties is an international initiative led by the Ocean & Climate Platform, mobilising mid-sized cities from across the globe featuring a diversity of climatic, geographic, social, economic, and political contexts.
The initiative is intended for elected representatives, urban planners and all stakeholders involved in this transition by acting as a forum to exchange knowledge and experiences of sustainable solutions towards greater coastal resilience. Given that a diversity of solutions has already been implemented across the world, it can be inspirational for other coastal cities and territories
By connecting experiences, characterising them through scientific works and disseminating them in a range of formats, we can promote leading practices and support the choices of policy-makers and regional authorities.
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Collecting and disseminating knowledge
Sea’ties is dedicated to compiling scientific knowledge through accessible syntheses and databases, facilitating the identification and analysis of solutions implemented by coastal cities worldwide.
This initiative relies on the expertise of an international, multidisciplinary thematic network (RTPi-Sea’ties), jointly led by the Ocean & Climate Platform and the French National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS). Bringing together experts from diverse fields including oceanography, physics, history, geography, economics, sociology, law, ecology, and biology, its initial efforts have resulted in the production of a synthesis of scientific literature on coastal adaptation strategies.
About the Scientific Synthesis
The publication ‘Designing Coastal Adaptation Strategies to Address Sea Level Rise’ is a synthesis of scientific literature that presents four archetypes of adaptation strategies for addressing sea level rise. These strategies are analyzed based on their governance modalities and the complexity of their implementation. This synthesis was co-authored by scientists from the RTPi-Sea’ties network, jointly led by the Ocean & Climate Platform (OCP) and CNRS, and it was published in the ‘Frontiers in Marine Science’ journal’s Ocean Solutions section in November 2021.
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Sharing experiences
Many solutions have already been deployed across the globe and can be inspirational for other territories. Sea’ties strives to facilitate the exchange of best practices among peers and leverage collective intelligence to identify the fundamental prerequisites for sustainable adaptation.
Acknowledging the vital need to bridge the gap between knowledge and decision-making, this initiative proposes a forum for collaborative discussions between elected officials, city planners, scientists, private sector representatives, and civil society through the organisation of workshops, the creation of digestible content such as videos and reports, and the development of interactive tools, including a Map of Solutions.
Regional Workshops
Between 2021 and 2023, five workshops were organized in five regions around the world: Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, North America, West Africa, and the Pacific. In total, approximately 230 practitioners, including elected officials, scientists, local planners, representatives of civil society and the private sector, along with development agencies and international donors, came together to identify local challenges, share their experiences, and collaboratively develop recommendations for better preparing their territories for adaptation.
Regional Reports
Drawing on the outcomes of each workshop and individual interviews, the regional reports offer an overview of current obstacles and specific needs that must be addressed to implement adaptation strategies. Targeted at decision-makers, city planners, and residents seeking transformative change along their coastlines, these reports illuminate leading practices to inspire action.
Thematic focus
Confronted with the urgent need to reshape the future of coastal cities facing rising sea levels, Sea’ties conducts international workshops focused on critical adaptation themes. The policy brief, “Nature-Based Solutions for Resilient Coastal Cities,” was developed from an initial workshop dedicated to exploring nature-based adaptation strategies. Targeted at policymakers and stakeholders engaged in coastal resilience efforts, this brief presents five key policy recommendations, outlines strategies to overcome common barriers to implementing nature-based solutions in coastal adaptation, and highlights examples and resources to inspire and guide decision-makers in their choices.
The Map of Solutions
Explore the Map of Solutions and discover the adaptation initiatives to sea level rise already implemented in many coastal cities and territories worldwide!
Are you involved in the adaptation of coastal cities and territories to rising sea levels?
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Supporting political action in favour of adaptation
While local decision-makers can leverage multiple tools and frameworks to initiate the adaptation of their territories, the ambition of their actions depends on the mobilisation and support of the international community on these issues. Sea’ties aims to enhance the integration of adaptation priorities into both national and international public policies by providing recommendations based on concrete experiences and scientific knowledge.
This advocacy mission aligns with the Ocean & Climate Platform’s role within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as an observer organisation.
About the Declaration
Initiated by the OCP, the French Government and the City of Brest, with the support of ICLEI and the “Race to Resilience” campaign, the Sea’ties Declaration commits more than 40 mayors, governors, and city networks across the world to the challenges of adapting coastal cities and territories to sea level rise. The Declaration is a call to accelerate adaptation action addressed to the international community, and highlights four priority strategies:
- Mobilising science and observation systems,
- Integrating societal issues within adaptation plans,
- Fostering adaptive and hybrid solutions,
- Increasing public funding and private investments for adaptation to sea level rise
All of the videos were produced as part of the Sea’ties event ‘Cities and Their Territories Tackling Sea Level Rise‘ on February 10, 2022, organised by the Ocean & Climate Platform, the French Government, the City of Brest, and in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Additional resources
Policy brief
Adapting Coastal Cities and Territories to Sea Level Rise
White Paper
Investment Protocol: Unlocking Financial Flows for Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change and Resilience Building
Contact
Théophile Bongarts-Lebbe
Project Manager – Coastal Adaptation and Climate Change
Partners
Financial support
endorsement
