Sustainable Coastal Growth and Resilience – Second Edition (Asia-Pacific)

The Coastal Resilience School – Co-Growth Course. A fully online advanced course on coastal resilience designed for early-career professionals in the Asia-Pacific region.

  • Date:

    02 JUNE
    -
    11 AUGUST 2026
     

  • Event location: Online event

  • Type: Courses

This second edition is jointly coordinated by several international partners committed to advancing capacity development in ocean science and coastal management:

The Coastal Resilience School – Co-Growth Course

The second edition of the Sustainable Coastal Growth and Resilience (Co-Growth) course is currently underway, bringing together early-career ocean professionals, researchers, coastal practitioners, and technical experts from across the Asia-Pacific region in an advanced online training programme dedicated to coastal resilience.

Running from June to August 2026, the course forms part of the Coastal Resilience School developed by the Decade Collaborative Centre for Coastal Resilience (DCC-CR) and contributes to the objectives of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the IOC Capacity Development Strategy (2023–2030).

Building on the success of the first edition, this second iteration has been specifically designed to address challenges and opportunities relevant to the Asia-Pacific region, combining scientific knowledge, operational applications, technological innovation, and practical solutions for resilient coastal development.

This second edition is jointly coordinated by several international partners committed to advancing capacity development in ocean science and coastal management:

Course Directors

The course is directed by:

  • Yuntao Wang (SIOMNR)

  • Nadia Pinardi (DCC-CR)

  • Fangfang Wan (NMDIS)

  • Vassiliki Kourafalou (DCC-CR)

Course Structure

The programme combines self-paced learning, expert lectures, live online sessions, interactive webinars, and collaborative activities, for a total workload of approximately 70 hours.

The curriculum is organised into five thematic modules covering the scientific, technological, environmental, and societal dimensions of coastal resilience.

Please note: the webinars are open to the public and can be attended independently of participation in the Co-Growth course.

Module 1 – Overview of Coastal Resilience and its Business Implications

The opening module introduces the fundamental concepts of coastal resilience and explores their relevance for sustainable development, climate adaptation, and business continuity. Participants examine adaptation planning, sustainability transition management, circular economy approaches for marine environments, and the role of early warning systems in disaster preparedness.

Lecturers

  • Giulia Galluccio

  • Chiara Trozzo

  • Matteo Mura

  • Alessandra Bonoli

  • Carlo Cacciamani

Live Webinar – 11 June 2026 - Open webinar: participation is not limited to Co-Growth course participants.

Guest speakers:

  • Lilia Magdouland (CMCC Foundation)

  • Miaohua Mao (Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research)

Go to the Webinar

Module 2 – Understanding Coastal Hazards Using Operational Oceanography

This module focuses on operational oceanography as a tool for understanding and assessing coastal hazards. Participants are introduced to global ocean forecasting products, Earth observation applications, cloud-based analytical environments, time-series extraction techniques, and methodologies for coastal hazard mapping.

Lecturers

  • Nadia Pinardi

  • Jérôme Benveniste

  • Megi Hoxhaj

  • Salvatore Causio

Live Webinar – 25 June 2026 - Open webinar: participation is not limited to Co-Growth course participants.

Guest speakers:

  • Enrique Álvarez (Mercator Ocean International)

  • Jianzhong Ge (East China Normal University)

Go to the Webinar

Module 3 – Environmental Impact Assessment and Risk Management

The third module examines environmental impact assessment methodologies and their application to coastal environments. Topics include environmental assessment techniques, stakeholder consultation processes, flood and coastal erosion risk management, and the use of Digital Twins for risk-informed decision-making.

Lecturers

  • Marie Pendle

  • Mike Panzeri

  • Ivan Federico

Live Webinar – 9 July 2026 - Open webinar: participation is not limited to Co-Growth course participants.

Guest speakers:

  • Alessandro Bonazzi (Generali)

  • Yuxi Jiang (NMDIS)

Module 4 – Enabling Technologies

This module explores the technologies supporting next-generation coastal resilience science and operations. Topics include big data management, artificial intelligence for extreme sea-level events, advanced GIS applications, data assimilation methodologies, and coastal altimetry products.

Lecturers

  • Quillon Harpham

  • Lorenzo Mentaschi

  • Mike Panzeri

  • Sarah Dance

  • Jérôme Benveniste

Live Webinar – 23 July 2026 - Open webinar: participation is not limited to Co-Growth course participants.

Guest speakers:

  • Giovanni Coppini (CMCC Foundation)

  • Han Luyao (NMDIS)

Module 5 – Innovative Solutions for Coastal Resilience

The final module focuses on innovative and practical approaches to strengthening coastal resilience. Participants explore sustainable port development, nature-based solutions for coastal protection, sustainable mariculture, resilient coastal cities, and emerging marine carbon dioxide removal approaches.

Lecturers

  • Mariano Buccino

  • Renata Archetti

  • Slim Gana

  • Vassiliki Kourafalou

  • Momme Butenschon

Live Webinar – 6 August 2026 - Open webinar: participation is not limited to Co-Growth course participants.

Guest speakers:

  • Joanna Staneva (Hereon)

  • Fei Chai (Xiamen University)

The module concludes with a final assignment through which participants apply the knowledge acquired throughout the programme to real-world coastal resilience challenges.

International Capacity Development for Coastal Resilience

Through its combination of scientific expertise, operational experience, and international collaboration, the Co-Growth course contributes to strengthening professional capacity in coastal resilience across the Asia-Pacific region.

By bringing together experts from academia, operational oceanography centres, international organisations, research institutes, and industry, the programme promotes knowledge exchange and supports the development of the next generation of professionals working towards sustainable coastal growth and resilient coastal communities.

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