Climate change is evident in many aspects, among them there is the progressive increase of the average sea level, which is affecting the rare extremes too, both on their frequency and intensity. Thus, the assessment of risks deriving from sea level variations requires a robust quantification of all the elements bringing the sea level to become a hazard. In order to have an effective adaptation to future sea conditions, it is mandatory to have a reliable knowledge on scenarios on sea level trends.
This is exactly the challenge addressed by the MedSeaRise project. Its objective is to improve the assessment of risks deriving from the Mediterranean Sea level variations, through a robust quantification of its hazardous source. The project has been funded under the Interreg EuroMED Programme and brings together 6 partners and 1 associated partner from Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Montenegro and Malta.
The Kick-Off meeting of the MedSeaRise project took place on the 20th and 21st of February 2024, with the participation of representatives of all the organizations that participate in the Consortium. The meeting was organized in Thessaloniki, Greece, by the Lead Partner, ANATOLIKI S.A., in collaboration with the Municipality of Kalamaria which participates in the project as Associated Partner from Greece.
The 1st day was mostly dedicated to the identification of the challenges related to sea level rise in each of the partner target areas. An interesting outcome of the conversations of the 1st day was related to the differentiation of the impacts of sea level rise in each of the countries that participate in the consortium. There were partners that witnessed impacts of sea level rise to the anthropic activities as tourism activities and industry operations, as well as to the ecosystems and the cultural heritage located along the coastline. Furthermore, a representative of the Community4Nature of the Interreg EuroMED Programme participated in the meeting online and shared the aims of the Programme and possible networking activities that could be organized during the next period for the amplification and exploitation of the results. The activities of the 1st day were concluded with a walking tour along the seafront of the Municipality of Kalamaria and a networking dinner between all the participants.
The 2nd day was dedicated to the technical aspects of the project and the organization of the administrative and management structures of the project. Partners discussed about the management bodies, organized the evaluation structures and the communication targets of the project. At the end of the 2nd day, everyone agreed about the next steps of the project and the dates of the next online and physical meetings of the partnership.
The MedSeaRise project started on January 2024 and will be finalized in March 2026. For more information about the project, you can click here.
