Lead institution:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna – Italy
Coastal regions encompass the land bordering the ocean, intertidal areas, and much of the continental shelf.
They are dynamic, densely populated, and highly productive in terms of human economic and natural systems. Yet, they are vulnerable to multiple threats, including geohazards, pollution, climate change, and sea-level rise. Resilience can have many definitions, but broadly, it refers to the capacity of these systems to recover following a disturbance, such as a tsunami.
The Decade Collaborative Centre for Coastal Resilience (DCC-CR) will contribute primarily to Challenge 6: Increase community resilience to ocean hazards. Its broad and multidisciplinary approach addresses at least six of the ten Decade Challenges while incorporating key aspects of the remaining four.
The DCC-CR will collaborate closely with other Decade coordination structures focusing on related aspects of coastal resilience, including, but not limited to, the DCCs for Ocean-Climate Nexus, Ocean Prediction, and Ocean-Climate Solutions.
A Strategic Alliance for Coastal Resilience
The DCC-CR Partner Alliance Network was officially ratified on February 3, 2025. This strategic collaboration between the Decade Collaborative Center for Coastal Resilience (DCC-CR) represented by the Director Nadia Pinardi, the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC), represented by Giovanni Coppini, Director of the Strategic Program Global Coast as a New Frontier, and Deltares, represented by Ghada El Serafy, Senior Specialist in Data Sciences for Ecosystem modeling and services and member of Science Council of Deltares, marks a significant step toward strengthening global coastal resilience efforts. The UNESCO IOC initially approved the alliance in December 2024.
A Powerful Synergy for Coastal Resilience
This new partnership enhances cooperation between three leading institutions in climate science, coastal modeling, and resilience strategies. Integrating complementary expertise aims to address the increasing challenges climate change poses to coastal environments worldwide. The collaboration is designed to foster an interdisciplinary, science-driven approach, leveraging advanced research, data assimilation, and predictive modeling to support sustainable coastal development and risk mitigation.
Lead Contact: Nadia Pinardi, Director of DCC-CR (nadia.pinardi@unibo.it)