Coastal Resilience to Sea Level Rise

A hybrid training course by FERS at CMCC in collaboration with the Coastal Resilience School of the DCC-CR and OTGA

  • Date:

    24 NOVEMBER
    -
    19 DECEMBER 2025
     

  • Event location: University Residential Center of Bertinoro (CE.U.B.), Italy - In presence and online event

  • Type: Courses

Summary

Sea level rise is one of the most pressing challenges for coastal communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure worldwide. This new training course, organized by the Future Earth Research School (FERS) at CMCC in collaboration with the Coastal Resilience School hosted at the Decade Collaborative Centre for Coastal Resilience and OceanTeacher Global Academy (OTGA), provides participants with the knowledge and tools to understand sea level rise risks, assess coastal vulnerabilities, and design effective adaptation strategies. Combining online learning with in-person sessions in Bertinoro, Italy, the course offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach with practical applications. A limited number of scholarships will be available, awarded based on merit and need.

The course is delivered together with OceanTeacher Global Academy (OTGA) and, thanks to CINECA, will include a hands-on component using Jupyter notebooks, focusing on data downloading and visualization mapping exercises with real datasets for vulnerability assessment.

Participants will gain the skills to analyze sea level rise risks, assess coastal vulnerabilities, and harness cutting-edge data and tools for decision-making.

Venue

This is a hybrid course combining:

  • Online learning (24 November – 14 December 2025) delivered through the OceanTeacher Global Academy (OTGA) platform, including synchronous and asynchronous activities.
  • On-site training (15–19 December 2025) at the University Residential Center of Bertinoro (CE.U.B.), Italy, with lectures, group discussions, case studies, and applied exercises.

 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

  • Understand the physical processes driving SLR risks
  • Assess regional vulnerabilities and coastal risks
  • Perform data analysis on Sea Level Rise Coastal risks using remote sensing, in-situ measurements, and open-access datasets
  • Gain insights on how to develop comprehensive adaptation strategies and plans for coastal resilience, with a specific focus on measures and solutions
  • Explore existing Climate Services and Decision Support Tools for planning and decision-making
  • Communicate Sea Level Risks to Various Stakeholders

 

Course Directors

  • Begoña Pérez Gómez – Puertos del Estado (Spain’s National Ports Authority), Head of the Climate Change and Prediction Department
  • Giulia Galluccio – Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (CMCC), Director of the Future Earth Research School and CMCC Advanced Training and Education Center
  • Vassiliki H. Kourafalou – University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, Department of Ocean Sciences, Chief Scientific Officer of the Decade Collaborative Centre for Coastal Resilience

 

Target Audience

The course is primarily designed for:

  • PhD students, postdocs, and early-career professionals in environmental science, marine biology, coastal engineering, urban planning, and related disciplines.
  • Professionals with 1–5 years of relevant work experience in coastal management, environmental consulting, marine conservation, or urban planning.

 

Pre-requisites

  • Background knowledge in environmental or marine sciences, climate science, or a related field.
  • Proficiency in written and spoken English.

 

Course Content

  • Physical processes driving sea level rise and their impacts on coasts.
  • Risk assessment through flood modelling, vulnerability mapping, and hazard mapping.
  • Risk management strategies and Early Warning Systems.
  • Nature-based solutions and innovations in urban design.
  • Case studies from diverse coastal regions.
  • Adaptation planning and evaluation of strategies for resilience.
  • Digital tools: introduction to Jupyter notebooks, data visualization, and extraction of time series for hazard assessment.
  • Governance challenges in adaptation planning.
  • Communication of scientific uncertainty and sea level rise risks to stakeholders.

 

Practical Details

  • Location: Bertinoro (FC), Italy
  • Dates: Online (24 Nov – 14 Dec), On-site (15–19 Dec)
  • Application deadline: 26 October 2025
  • Fee: €800 (VAT included if applicable)
  • Places available: 25
  • Scholarships: a limited number are available, awarded based on merit and need

 

Important links