The high calibre of the speakers establishes Uhinak as a leading international conference on the impact of climate change on coastal areas

• The conference will feature 8 keynote speeches along with 36 oral communications
• The Uhinak programme is available on the conference website, and registration is now open. www.uhinak.com
• The conference will be held at Ficoba on 23 and 24 October

(Irun, 16 September 2024). Uhinak, the Cross-border Conference on Climate and the Coast Change, which will take place at Ficoba on 23 and 24 October, has established itself an international benchmark event, thanks to the high calibre of its speakers and its programme, which covers the latest research and solutions on the impacts of climate change on coastal areas.

This year, the conference will feature 8 keynote speeches and 36 oral communications, with participation from international experts as well as prominent professionals from public administrations, companies, and research centres. A rich and varied programme that will enable attendees to stay up-to-date with the latest projects on climate change and coastal adaptation.

In addition to the previously announced participation of experts such as Peter Ditlevsen, professor at the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen, who will kick off the first day of the conference, and Marta Coll, deputy director of the Institut de Ciències del Mar, who will open the second day, Uhinak will also feature keynote presentations from leading experts in each of the four thematic blocks.

Block I: Planetary Tipping Points will feature the guest lecture by Jon Sáenz from the University of the Basque Country (UPV), who will talk about marine heat waves in the southern Bay of Biscay and atmosphere-ocean energy fluxes.

Block II: Extreme Events and Adaptation Measures, guest speaker Roland Garnier from AZTI will present the monitoring programme for marsh restoration actions on the Basque coast. In addition, Matthias Delpey from Rivages Pro Tech, SUEZ Eau France will present the development of decision-support tools for the management of ocean storm impacts along the coast of Saint-Jean-de-Luz in southwestern France.

Block III: Coastal and Ocean Climate Change Mitigation will feature Soledad Vivas Navarro, Marine Environment Technical Coordinator of the Environment and Water Agency of the Regional Government of Andalusia. She will present the LIFE Blue Natura project, which focuses on blue carbon in Andalusia as a tool for climate change mitigation.

Finally, Block IV: Governance, Management Tools and Communication will feature two keynote presentations. First, there will be a presentation by Iñigo Losada Rodríguez, Research Director at the Institute of Environmental Hydraulics of Cantabria (IHCantabria), discussing a guide for risk assessment and adaptation to climate change in the coastline. Second, María Josep Picó, Professor of Journalism at the University of Valencia, will give a lecture on “Coastal governance in the metaverse. Challenges for communication, participation and conversation”.

Oral communications

In addition to the opening lectures and keynote presentations, up to 36 oral communications from professionals at prominent international and national organizations are also scheduled. In Block I, participants will include the Chrome Laboratory of the University of Nîmes, the Technological Marine Centre (CETMAR), the University of the Basque Country, AZTI, the University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour, and the Institute of Oceanography and Global Change (IOCAG – ULPGC).

In Block II, presentations will be given by experts from IHCantabria (Institute of Environmental Hydraulics of the University of Cantabria), CEDEX-Centre for Ports and Coastal Studies (CEPYC), the Basque Centre for Climate Change, AZTI, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Intecmar, Tecnalia, University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour and the Suez, Center Rivages Pro Tech.

In Block III, experts from AZTI, MC Valnera S.L., the Surfrider Foundation, the Technological Marine Centre (CETMAR), Ihobe, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya are scheduled to participate.

Meanwhile, Block IV will include oral communication from the Basque Centre for Climate Change, Artelia, Tecnalia, the Institute of Oceanography and Global Change (IOCAG), GIS Littoral Basque, the University of Cádiz, and AZTI.

A conference with an exhibition area

Several companies and organizations are participating in this sixth edition of Uhinak with an exhibition stand in order to increase their visibility as a sector supplier, associate their brand with climate change mitigation research, raise brand awareness and strength their impact, position themselves as leading companies committed to environmental preservation, and establish business relationships with their target audience.

The list of exhibitors is made up of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa (Department of Sustainability), Ihobethe public company of the Basque Government  which promotes environmental sustainability in the Basque Country, Vervirtech (sustainable multi-enzyme products), the Marine and Food Research Centre AZTI, Artelia (architectural and engineering projects, focused on the design of sustainable construction solutions), GIS Littoral Basque (an initiative that brings together scientific and governmental entities from both the French and Spanish regions of Basque Country to address coastal environmental challenges), Nautilus Oceánica (a company specializing in the sale and installation of oceanographic, hydrographic and topographic equipment) and Regions4 (a global network that supports regional governments in managing challenges related to climate change, biodiversity loss and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Open for registration

Registration is now open on the conference website, with an Early Bird rate available. Registration includes access to the presentations, conference materials, the exhibition area, coffee breaks, lunch, and a certificate of attendance.