Building Coastal Resilience with Nature

Climate & Environment

Mike Beck

Director of the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience and AXA Chair in Coastal Resilience

Coasts play a central role in our societies and yet, because of climate change, they are now at greater risk or erosion and flooding. In this masterclass, Prof. Mike Beck explores the superpower of nature, especially reefs and wetlands, to help protect coastal communities from climate change.

Get familiar with mangroves, marshes and oyster reefs to build climate resilience.

What you will learn

How we're destroying natural ecosystems like marshes, mangroves, and coral reefs
Why nature is our greatest ally to protect our coasts
The importance of investing in green (vs grey) infrastructure solutions
Why Nature Capital Accounting should be the next big thing
How to use flumes and video games to visualize risks

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The masterclass in 3 main chapters

Chapter 1

Why are coasts facing more natural disasters?

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Who hasn't dreamed of living by the ocean?

That's where the issue lies. Our love for the coast has grown so strong that, while once considered perilous, we now view it as paradise. We want to build as close to the water as we can.

However, this desire leads to the destruction of natural ecosystems such as marshes, mangroves, and coral reefs. This not only damages the environment but also increases our vulnerability to coastal flooding by eliminating our first line of defense.

Chapter 2

How wetlands, marshes, and reefs protect from coastal flooding?

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Around the world, wetlands such as coastal marshes in Europe, the US and China, and mangrove forests across more than 100 tropical countries provide coastal protection.

For millennia, coastal fishers knew to push boats up in marshes and inside of angroves to protect from storms.

But in past decades, we seem to have forgotten those benefits.

Chapter 3

How to increase coastal resilience with nature-based solutions?

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The costs of coastal disasters are skyrocketing, with hundreds of billions of dollars spent each year on recovery efforts.

The current approach is neither efficient nor practical for managing risk or government budgets, and it certainly isn't the most effective way to support the communities in need.

What if we could build a stronger coastline with nature itself?