IMCORE – Innovative Management for Europe’s Changing Coastal Resource
Background and Goals
The IMCORE partnership will promote a trans‐national, innovative and sustainable approach to reducing the ecological, social and economic impacts of climate change on the coastal resources of North West Europe.
We need to increase our capacity to respond to the Ecological, Social and Economic impacts of climate on the viability of coastal sectors such as fisheries and aquaculture, ports and shipping, marine recreation, and the defence of coastal communities from flooding and erosion. To date, most attention has been focused on predicting the types and rates of change likely to occur but what is needed now is a method to identify the adaptation measures that need to be applied to coastal use and management. This project aims to address this by developing a methodology and templates to aid Coastal Managers across North West Europe in developing the required adaptive strategies.
Because of the innovative approach of this project, scientists and practitioners involved in coastal management from Ireland, the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands will be working together as expert couplets. This is how local government authorities and research groups will work together to identify the key processes that lead to the socio‐economic consequences of climate change of their local area, supported by a network of trans‐national cooperation. Ways to address these consequences will be tested in real projects.
Content time
toResearch area/region
Country
- Belgium
- France
- Great Britain
- Ireland
- Netherlands
Spatial resolution
expert locations: Cork, Donegal, Durham, Aberdeen, Cardiff, East England, Belgium, Gulf of Morbhian, Sefton
Steps in the process of adaptation to climate change
Step 1: Understand and describe climate change
Approach and results
no own climate scenario developped (cooperation with in SIC adapt!)
Parameter (climate signals)
- Sea level rise und storm surges
Further Parameters
meteorological events; water temperature
Step 2a: Identify and assess risks - climate effects and impact
Approach and results
Analysis of the ecological, social and economic impacts of climate change on the coastal resources of North West Europe.
Step 2b: Identify and assess risks - Vulnerability, risks and chances
Approach and results
While the expert couplets are developing various activities at a local level, a variety of innovative approaches, methods and tools will be researched, identified and developed by partners to demonstrate how they can be effective and useful to coastal managers and decision makers who need to visualise the future and plan how to respond to the changes happening on their coasts. For this purpose, adaptive management strategies will be developed, implemented and evaluated at each of the 9 couplet locations.
Coastal managers and policy makers from across North West Europe will be mentored and assisted to plan responses to climate change scenarios through training of trainers and a multimedia online learning tool. This will include a variety of tested and evaluated tools, methods and approaches, examples of adaptive management strategies and guidelines. The regional viability of our coastal communities and sectors will be improved by developing common decision support tools and techniques for future planning.
Step 4: Plan and implement measures
Costs of the measures
Economic tools for adaptation:
- Assessing the costs of adaptation to climate change;
- Economics of climate change adaptation in EU coastal area;
- Case Studies on Methodology to Calculate Costs of Adaptation.
Participants
Funding / Financing
EU: Funded under the Interreg IVB programme
Project management
Coastal and Marine Resources Centre, National University of Ireland Cork
Cooperation/Partners
CoastNet, UK (Regional partners of CoastNet are: East of England Government Office, East England Development Agency, Open Unversity and Brightlinsea Harbour Commissioners);
Centre for Coastal & Marine Research, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland;
Donegal County Council, Ireland;
Aberdeen Institute for Coastal Science and Management, Aberdeen University, Scotland;
Cork County Council, Ireland;
Marine & Coastal Research Group, Cardiff University, Wales;
EUCC – The Coastal Union, Netherlands;
Maritime Institute, University of Gent, Belgium;
Envision Ltd., England;
Centre for Maritime Law and Economy, University of Western Brittany, France; Sefton Council, England;
Durham Council, England;
MDK Coastal Division, Belgium;
SIAGM – Intermunicipal Syndicate for Planning in the Gulf of Morbhian, France;
Aberdeen City Council, Scotland;
National Maritime College Ireland, Ireland;
Contact
Coastal and Marine Resources Centre
Naval Base: Haulbowline
Cobh
