After the projects MAREMED (MAritime REgions cooperation for the MEDiterranean), COASTANCE (Regional action strategies for coastal zone adaptation to climate change) and RESMAR (Rete di Tutela Ambientale nello Spazio Marittimo), THESEUS joined the cluster FACECOAST (Face the challenge of climate change in the med coastal zones).

FACECOAST started its activities January 2012 and already includes more than 80 partners. It aims to gather and capitalize the contributions of the European projects which dealt with the matter of the coastal defense against natural and anthropogenic risks (erosion, flooding, salt water intrusion, subsidence, etc.) in the frame of the adaptation policy to climate change (sea level rise, strengthening of extreme phenomena, etc.) and sustainable development. The target is to promote and create an exchanging space about the Mediterranean coastal defense against erosion, flooding hazards and consequent risks, taking into account the Integrated Coastal Zone Management approach.

Not only MED programme projects can join FACECOAST, but also the other cooperation programs (ENPI CBC, IPA, MARITIME Italy-France, etc.) and sectoral ones (FP7, LIFE+, etc.).

Therefore the main issue (coastal defense) is open towards other interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral contributions (projects) which will be the “link units” exchanging with other projects or different potential clusters. This  principle allows to other clusters focused on different main issues (e.g. ports, tourism, rural areas, urban development, etc.) to participate in the projects which concern them, and hereby improving their  framework  with  integrated solutions.

The cluster FACECOAST actively attended the Cluster and Capitalization Day, organized by the MED programme in Marseille last 30th November, by presenting its objectives and its candidature for the next capitalization call.

By Barbara Zanuttigh