The Smart Control of the Climate Change Resilience in European Coastal Cities (SCORE) is a 4-year project that outlines an inclusive strategy for enhancing the overall long-term resilience of coastal areas. The project’s main concept focuses on 10 coastal city living labs (CCLLs) in Europe, enabling cooperation between citizens and stakeholders to create sustainable solutions.
In the next two months, the travel blog “SCORE on the road” will showcase the visits to these ten coastal city living labs. As a leading partner in the consortium, IHS will be represented by Laura Quadros Aniche, Francesca Vanelli, Charmae Nercua and Indriany Lionggo.
Stop 1: Oarsoaldea, Basque Country
At the first stop of our SCORE travel blog, we are exploring the picturesque yet challenging coastline of the Oarsoaldea region of the Basque Country. This coastal region faces many challenges due to its location, such as coastal erosion and flooding. Due to climate change and constantly changing sea level, its biodiversity and ecosystem are in danger. Based on the expertise of SCORE researchers, the project aims to recover and protect the natural ecosystems of the area by working alongside the local government. The project will also create greener coastal urban areas and rehabilitate the dune ecosystem.
During the 3-day workshop, IHS staff Laura Quadros Aniche and Charmae Nercua had the opportunity to get to know more about Oarsoaldea and work together with Naider and Enoll, partners of the SCORE project. The researchers dived deep into the specific problems discussing existing data and next steps to analyse the long-term impact of climate change on the territory. To better define the vision and strategic goals, the team met with local stakeholders. They identified potential barriers and opportunities and analysed how to conduct early warning systems. At last, the participants visited the Albaola Museum and walked along the beautiful coastline of Pasaia.
“We are all looking forward to the next SCORE phases, where we will co-create solutions to increase coastal resilience in Oarsoaldea!”
Stop 2: Sligo, Ireland
The second stop of the SCORE travel blog is Sligo, the historical and industrial service centre of Northwest Ireland. This coastal city living lab is concentrated in three areas: Streedagh Beach, Dunmoran Strand and Enniscrone. With a key logistical role with a working port, rail, road links and main industry tourism, the county is threatened by various factors. Coastal flooding, dune erosion and endangered heritage sites are only part of the risks. The SCORE team will work on ways to install vegetated buffer areas in dune systems as hybrid nature-based solutions (NBS) and test several bioengineering solutions for coastal protection.
An intensive yet rewarding 3-day workshop at Sligo brought together the Sligo County Council, IT Sligo and key stakeholders from the government, private sector, citizens and scientists. Charmae Nercua and Indriany Lionggo represented IHS. The goal of the workshop was to develop a shared vision, mission and goals towards sustainable and inclusive climate solutions in the coastal communities of Sligo and eventually extend it to the rest of Ireland. This multi-stakeholder gathering is just one of the many meetings and activities planned to create and build an experience on the concept of coastal city living labs as open, innovative ecosystems.
In the end, the participants came up with a shared vision and mission of the CCLL of Sligo:
"An enduring and self-sustaining citizen science coastal cooperative integrated into the North-West to co-create inclusive and innovative approaches towards ecologically sustainable climate solutions and resilience of coastal communities in Ireland."
Stop 3: Dublin, Ireland
This week, the SCORE team travelled to Dublin, an ancient Viking settlement known as Ireland's capital and largest city. This coastal city living lab will focus on climate change resilience, specifically against coastal flooding. The SCORE workshops will analyse different solutions by testing and improving existing Ecosystem-Based Approaches (EBAs) linked with smart technologies and planning public parks in the area.
IHS colleagues Laura Quadros Aniche and Indriany Lionggo implemented the 3-day workshop in Dublin with Naider, Enoll and ERINN. They worked closely with UCD, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, and local stakeholders to capture the main opportunities and threats for the Dublin coastal city living lab. The workshop participants discussed data availability and synergies across departments and other climate-related projects to raise awareness and engagement. They defined their vision and strategic goals, mapped stakeholders, and planned operational activities.
The vision of the Dublin coastal city living lab:
"Co-create data-driven policies using innovative EBAs and smart technologies to empower communities in building Dublin's coastal climate resilience."
Stop 4: Benidorm, Spain
For the next stop of the SCORE travel blog, the team is visiting Benidorm, one of the oldest tourist destinations on Spain’s Mediterranean coast. With its relatively short coastal length and over 400,000 inhabitants in the summer, the city faces severe challenges. Coastal erosion and flooding have a great effect on the local ecosystems. The SCORE researchers will aim to protect the sea level rouse flooding by keeping sand dunes on the backshore.
The Benidorm Coastal City Living Lab led by the University of Alicante and the Benidorm City Council warmly welcomed the SCORE workshop team in the beautiful city of Alicante. Together with Naider and Enoll, IHS staff Charmae Nercua and Francesca Vanelli facilitated a 3-day workshop on problem analysis, visioning exercise, strategic goal setting, uncovering the barriers and pilot operational planning towards reaching the CCLL’s vision-mission-goals. One of the main highlights of the trip is witnessing Benidorm’s magnificent skyline featuring the city’s various initiatives to protect not only the coasts but also the surrounding mountains.
The CCLL team's vision beyond the SCORE project is to become:
“An international reference model city developing innovative & cost-efficient climate adaptation solutions based on reliable and accessible climate-related data, integrating all stakeholders to create a long-term plan towards environmentally sustainable, resilient coastal communities.”
Stop 5: Piran, Slovenia
The fifth stop of the SCORE team is in Piran, Slovenia, situated on the Istrian Peninsula. Apart from being a famous holiday destination, the region holds the heritage of four plurilingual communities with Slovene and Italian roots. Some of the risks that Piran is imposed include coastal flooding, sea-level rise, sea storm surges, and damages to the coastal infrastructure. Using the Planned Ecosystems Based Approaches (EBAs) and smart sensoring, the researchers will work on a future architectural design and planning that recognises water supply and flows.
The Piran CCLL team hosted IHS, represented by Laura Quadros Aniche and Indriany Lionggo, Naider and Enoll, during the 3-day SCORE workshop. Relevant local stakeholders joined the project team to brainstorm the issues and priorities related to climate change in Piran. The participants held interesting discussions on how to engage citizens, raise awareness, and bring strategies to concrete actions on the ground to increase climate resilience.
In the end, the team came up with a shared vision for this CCLL:
“Become a pioneer in Slovenia in co-creating innovative solutions by empowering the citizens and stakeholders to collaborate in the context of climate change prevention, adaptation and mitigation”.
Stop 6: Massa, Italy
At the sixth stop of our SCORE travel blog, we discover Massa, a Tyrrhenian Seaside town in Tuscany’s northern region. Many challenges need to be faced here, such as extreme weather and heat waves and eutrophication caused by seawater temperature rise that jeopardises tourism and related economic industries. Researchers of the SCORE project will work on several bioengineering solutions for coastal protection to safeguard the community.
Italy’s warm hospitality greeted the SCORE workshops and IHS staff Charmae Wissink-Nercua and Francesca Vanelli in Massa this weekend. The team was composed of the Municipality of Massa, LAMMA, CNR, University of Pisa, Progecom and Comunita’ Interattive, who all took the challenge to dive deeper into the effects and impacts of climate change in the coastal areas of Northern Tuscany. The team is committed to co-create and co-design nature-based solutions and smart technologies while engaging all stakeholders. IHS and partners facilitated a series of participatory workshop tools to support the CCLL team on problem analysis, visioning, stakeholder engagement, uncovering barriers and pilot operational planning. The main highlights of the trip were exploring the marble quarries of Monte Altissimo in Carrara and a walking tour in the centre of Massa to better understand the historical origins of the city.
Beyond the SCORE project, the CCLL hopes to achieve their vision-mission of:
“An inclusive open lab meaningfully co-designing feasible science-based innovative climate adaptation solutions that leads to collaborative synergies among all stakeholders towards achieving social, economic and environmental resilience of coastal communities in Apuo-Versilia.”
Stop 7: Oeiras, Portugal
At the next stop of our SCORE travel blog, we travel to the Oeiras Municipality, near Lisbon, Portugal's capital and the Tagus River. The region is threatened by extreme occurrences of sea-level rises and severe decreases in rainfall. Flooded areas are growing while artificial drainage systems fail. SCORE researchers are looking into Ecosystem-Based Approaches such as testing natural retention ponds, increasing underground recharge areas, and rezoning flooded areas.
IHS colleagues Indriany Lionggo and Laura Quadros Aniche delivered a 3-days interactive workshop together with Work Package 2 partners Naider and Enoll in Portugal. The team's common vision is to co-create an inclusive climate action community through active stakeholders' engagement and foster citizen awareness for the climate resilience of Oeiras territory. Many stakeholders from different sectors and levels participated in the brainstorming sessions. Although there were disparities, the stakeholders managed to share their perspectives and agree on integrating and aligning their knowledge and actions towards a more resilient Oeiras. Additionally, the participants agreed that the disseminated climate awareness needs to be practical and easily understood by the wider communities so that the momentum can be fostered and developed into a long-lasting living lab.
As part of a cultural evening, the SCORE team visited a local fortified vineyard in Carcavelos that aims to preserve the unique characteristics of grapes, specifically grown in the country.
Stop 8: Vilanova i la Geltrú, Province of Barcelona, Spain
This week’s Coastal City Living Lab is focusing on the province of Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona. This Spanish port city has been threatened by sea level rises, floods and coastal erosion due to extreme weather circumstances. To solve these issues, the SCORE project is looking into the possibility of dune ecosystem rehabilitation and beach vegetation recovery. In order to reduce climate change impacts, the port has to rethink its land use and create more green urban areas.
Catalonia’s hot spring weather welcomed the SCORE Workshop team, IHS represented by Charmae Nercua and Francesca Vaneli, ENOLL and NAIDER, for another 3-day intensive workshop which aims to support the Vilanova i la Geltru coastal city living lab (CCLL) in its early stages of setting up its governance structure. The CCLL led by ENT, Municipality of Vilanova i la Geltru and the Barcelona Provincial Council analysed their strengths and weaknesses; mapped and prioritised the stakeholders who will be involved in the living lab and finally develop its pilot operational plans for the next years in the SCORE project.
One of its strategic goals is to enhance the research, technical and financial capacity of the CCLL to propose, promote, validate and monitor EBA solutions to address the climate change hazards and risks faced by the Catalonia region.
"Beyond the SCORE project, Vilanova i la Geltru CCLL aims to be a reference and research-technological engine, co-creating data-based, innovative and collaborative solutions towards integrated coastal management and climate change adaptation, scaled up to Catalunya and the Mediterranean area."
Stop 9: Samsun, Turkey
The ninth stop of SCORE researchers is Samsun, the largest and most developed port city of the Black Sea region in Northern Turkey. The Samsun Coastal City Living Lab will focus on the Kizilirmak Delta, which is one of the major delta plains along Turkey's coastal lines and it has been included in the UNESCO Heritage Temporary List as a Ramsar site. Over the years, diverse challenges have come up, such as coastal erosion, flooding, extreme hydrological events and impacts on lakes and lagoons.
Together with NAIDER and ENOLL, IHS staff Charmae Nercua and Francesca Vanelli facilitated a 3-day workshop on problem analysis, visioning exercise, strategic goal setting, uncovering the barriers and pilot operational planning towards reaching the CCLL’s vision-mission-goals. The team visited the Kizilirmak Delta and Bird Santuary, a wetland ecosystem and protected area, hosting various initiatives to protect nature. Various stakeholders from private and public entities, academia and government joined the workshop, to discuss nature-based solutions for the Kizilirmak Delta.
The CCLL team's vision beyond the SCORE project is to become:
“A sustainable Coastal City Living Lab implementing a roadmap of cooperation among all stakeholders to plan, design and scale-up nature-based solutions towards social, economic and environmental resilience of the communities living on the Kizilirmak Basin".
Stop 10: Gdańsk, Poland
The last stop of the SCORE on the road travel blog was Poland's principal seaport and the country's fourth-largest urban area - Gdańsk. One of the main challenges the area faces is the rising sea level and coastal flooding of apartment buildings and technology and communication infrastructure caused by climate change. Another issue is the rapid rise in water levels in the estuary sections of rivers due to storms or ice. In order to tackle these challenges, the team plans to test several bio-engineering hybrid NBS.
During the 3-day workshop, IHS staff Laura Quadros Aniche and Elina Makousiari had the opportunity to get to know more about Gdansk and work together with Naider and ENOLL partners of the SCORE project. The researchers worked together with the CCLL team, delving deeper into the specific problems of the area, and discussing the existing data and the next steps needed. At the same time, they also met with local stakeholders, engaging them in identifying and analyzing the reinforcing and hindering factors that affect the CCLL's ability to achieve its vision and goals.
At last, the participants explored the beautiful city of Gdansk. They had the chance to walk along the Martwa Wisła river and the picturesque old town of Gdansk and visited the Museum of Second World War and a traditional beer brewery.