Oceans are a decisive factor to guarantee the survival of life-supporting conditions on Planet Earth. However, great climate changes are taking place, being capable to tip the scales in the balance of terrestrial ecosystems. The United Nations Ocean Decade Challenge No. 10 is focused on a crucial issue that is Restoring Society’s Relationship with the Ocean. Allowing people to clearly understand the core values and ecosystem services linked to marine biodiversity aims to increase eco-awareness and empathy in order to feel directly involved in nature conservation and the ocean cause.
On February the 20th 2025, the Ocean Decade Coordination Office (DCO) launched a webinar series entitled Connecting People and Ocean with the view to improve ocean literacy and reinforce the multidisciplinary global networking. Coastal Cities and Climate Change Adaptation was at the centre of the debate which saw a large public participation interested in increasing human relationships with the ocean through concrete actions aimed at improving their footprint fostering equity and connection to nature.
MONACŒCOART® offers a concise overview of the leading insights by the speakers and and members of the DCO who explored how urban planning adapts to climate change through a meaningful case study. Dr Timothy Beatley, Author of "The Promise of Ocean Cities" and Professor of Sustainable Communities at the University of Virginia (United States) and Michael Palmgren, Founder & Manager of the Marine Education Center in Malmö (Sweden). The common thread was centred on Blue Urbanism that is integrating the urban planning and design with the marine aquatic environment to give life to Ocean cities.
As reaffirmed by Dr Timothy Beatley: « We all live on the Blue Planet but we are also the Planet of Cities ». In his speech, the skilled urban planner highlighted the need to combine architecture, and then the way of building, with the natural environment. Thus, it is essential to foresee new scenarios of future built areas in full compliance with the Marine World to safeguard Oceans conservation and health. The core mission is to change our mental maps of cities insisting on education and innovative architectural methodologies able to increase empathy towards the marine world. In fact, the consequences of urban sprawl affect not only the terrestrial but also the aquatic ecosystem. Notably, fishing, marine transport, deepwater oil or gas spilling, human pollution can have a considerable impact on the mirror of water facing big cities by the sea.
The promotion of more sustainable economic models can reveal its effectiveness like the Cape Ann Fresh Catch, the largest American Community Supported Fishery (CSF) to foster sustainability, traceability and shortening the supply chain while selling the local fish. Rethinking urban spaces based on the emblematic species that inhabit them leads to consider the urban territory from another point of view. "We need new kind of maps", Dr Beatley reiterated, referring to the New York Seascape to showcase the incredible wildlife diversity surrounding the Big Apple. Or the World's First Marine BioBlitz promoted in Wellington, New Zealand, a virtuous example of mutual collaboration between scientists and local communities to increase awareness of urban marine biodiversity.
Rethinking adaptation strategies to restore and regenerate ocean ecosystems with the involvement of all stakeholders is prior, as stated in conclusion by Dr Beatley.
The City of Malmö (Sweden) and the Marine Education Center is fully committed in carrying out marine development projects grounded on sustainability and innovation to provide nature-based solutions and climate adaptation measures. Michael Palmgren does believe that developing a new ocean culture is vital to integrate green and blue districts in urbanised cities. « We aim at bringing the ocean back into the city », this is the key objective of the Educational Center Director and his work team. We therefore need to experience a deeper connection with the ocean through a synergic action plan in contact with Nature. Promoting endemic marine biodiversity to highly man-made environments like industrial ports or marinas is an important step in bringing human communities closer to marine creatures while depolluting highly threatened areas. This is what was started in the Swedish coastline city overlooking the Øresund marine strait, with significant results in terms of bio activities to restore diversity of marine life.
The Webinar "Coastal Cities and Climate Change Adaptation" as part of 'Connecting People and Ocean' series by UNESCO and United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, highlighted the importance of sharing ideas and good practices to best adapt climate mitigation and adaptation action to coastal zones hosting 40% of the world’s population. Areas which are increasingly affected by rising seas, pollution and unregulated exploitation of natural resources***
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By Maurice Abbati
Journalist; Editor; Communication, Media and Public Relations Specialist
Lecturer and Author in English language of Technical Articles and the Manual: "Communicating the Environment to Save the Planet, a Journey into Eco-Communication" by Springer International Publishing.
multiple values and services of the Ocean for human well-being, culture, and sustainable development are widely understood, and identify and overcome barriers to behaviour change required for a step change in humanity’s relationship with the Ocean.
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