The second day of the International Seminar on Sustainable Regions concludes with a reflection on taking action against rising sea levels.
On the afternoon of Thursday, May 15, the Víctor Jara Theater hosted the second day of the International Seminar on Sustainable Regions, focusing on one of the most critical threats posed by climate change: rising sea levels.
The day began at 17:30 p.m. with a presentation by Corinne Vitale, professor of spatial planning and water governance at Radboud University (Netherlands). Entitled “Coastal Territories on Trial: How the Netherlands is Adapting to Rising Sea Levels ,” Vitale presented an analysis of the Netherlands’ strategies for living with water. The expert emphasized the need to integrate climate planning into all levels of public policy, as it involves not only infrastructure but also institutional processes that allow for continuous adaptation to new realities.
Adaptation and planning, main measures
Next, Gustavo Herrera, coordinator of early warning, meteorological observation, and climate modeling projects, gave a presentation titled “Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change in the Canary Islands: From Risk to Flexible Action .” Herrera addressed the specific situation of the Canary archipelago, emphasizing the need for better anticipation of extreme weather events. In his presentation, he explained the methodology used to obtain data that would allow for measuring the archipelago's risk from sea-level rise and studying potential future projects. He pointed out that flexible, risk-based planning is the best tool available.
The day culminated in a round table discussion entitled “Sea Level Rise: A Socioeconomic Challenge ,” moderated by journalist Wendy Fuentes. Participants included Herrera himself; Juan Ferrer, technician from the Climate Change Service of the Government of the Canary Islands; Levi García, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC); and Patricia Caro, technical coordinator of LIFE COSTAdapta. The debate brought together institutional, scientific, and technical perspectives on the already visible impacts of sea level rise on the coasts of Gran Canaria.
Inaction is not an option
Likewise, the risks of maintaining urban development models in low-lying areas without adaptive planning were highlighted, and the importance of European projects to test replicable pilot solutions was emphasized.
The session concluded by reminding everyone that rising sea levels are not a phenomenon of the future, but a present reality that demands urgent, coordinated, and knowledge-based responses. Island regions like the Canary Islands cannot afford inaction: they are living laboratories of climate change and also pioneering territories in the search for solutions.
The 18th International Seminar on Sustainable Regions concluded with a reflection on the need to accelerate the transition toward resilient models that protect both ecosystems and the well-being of coastal areas.
