Uhinak 2024: We are facing a major challenge as the climate change is now directly impacting the coast and people’s lives

• 150 experts will hold a two-day debate at Ficoba on the practical and scientific solutions for addressing the challenges of climate change
• Peter Ditlevsen, a professor at the Niels Bohr Institute at Copenhagen University, will give the opening lecture on the first day of the conference, speaking about the potential collapse of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, an event that would radically change the European climate
• Marta Coll, the Deputy Director of the Institut de Ciències del Mar, will be the guest speaker opening the second day of the conference, addressing the effects of the climate change on marine ecosystems
• The congress will be held on October 23 and 24

(Irun, 14 October 2024). Rising sea levels, marine ecosystem changes, extreme climate events, aquifer salinisation and, in the most extreme cases, displacement of communities are some of the consequences of climate change already affecting the coast.

Faced with this scenario, Uhinak, the Cross-Border Congress on Climate and Coastal Change, now has an even more relevant commitment to addressing this challenge through a cross-cutting approach, and it will bring together experts, scientists, local governments and companies at a single event. Today it is clearer than ever that the results required to mitigate the effects of climate change can only be achieved by acting in a variety of areas.

One of the topics at Uhinak will therefore be mitigation, i.e. reducing emissions, but climate change adaptation to anticipate and minimise the damage and its cost will also be addressed. Likewise, there will be an analysis of research into trend monitoring and the development of local system models, vital for anticipating our region’s response and the impact on the ecosystem.

The main topics addressed will include the point of no return warning on the global changes occurring such as the potential collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), crucial to the global climate system, particularly in Europe due to its effect on regional climate, adverse weather phenomena, fish stocks and the change in the migratory patterns of marine species. There will also be a special focus on research into the resilience of the European seas to climate change, as they are heavily affected by the average increase in the sea level temperature and water acidification. 

Around 150 people from different areas will be taking part in Uhinak this year. France will be well-represented, with more than 20% of the participants, confirming the cross-border nature of the congress.

The perspective of institutions and experts

The sixth Cross-Border Congress on Climate and Coastal Change was presented this morning at a press conference at Ficoba.

In the words of the Mayoress of Irun and Chairwoman of the Ficoba Foundation, Cristina Laborda, “Irun is an example of a city committed to the environment, and this conference is proof of that. An event that has received international and scientific recognition, and that’s because things are done well here, with responsibility. However, we must not become complacent. Institutions have the duty to focus on the challenges we face as a society, and the environment is one of the most important. It is essential to implement measures, each within their own competencies, and to be consistent in our actions, taking responsibility for the world we leave to future generations”.

Gipuzkoa’s Sustainability Delegate José Ignacio Asensio also affirmed that “We are working with rigor and commitment here in Gipuzkoa to stay ahead of the risks, with initiatives like the Coastal and Marine Observatory and innovation projects such as Blue Point that are turning plastic pollution into Blue Economy opportunities. In a region where 40% of the population live close to the coast we need to act urgently, using knowledge and science to guarantee the safety and wellbeing of our citizens”.

Adolfo Uriarte, the basque Government’s Director of Natural Heritage and Climate Change, stressed that “coastal adaption to the effects of climate change requires urgent adoption of the measures planned and farsightedness to respond to a triple crisis: climate, biodiversity loss and pollution. Projects such as Urban Klima 2050, the Basque Country’s largest climate action project, led by the Basque Government, are proof that transformative solutions can be applied in the region and that market opportunities can also be created for transferring our own experience elsewhere. We need to make the leap from planning to transformative action, and we need to generate knowledge to facilitate the decision-making process”.

Rogelio Pozo, CEO of AZTI, the technological center co-organizing the Uhinak Congress, highlighted the importance of this event as an essential platform for discussing and developing practical and scientific solutions to the challenges of climate change on our coasts. Pozo announced that ‘AZTI, as a leading entity in the evaluation of the impacts of climate change at the local level, will play a crucial role in this congress, focusing its contribution on the results of innovative projects aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change”.

Content of the congress

This year’s congress will include 8 guest talks and 35 oral presentations and 17 posters.

Peter Ditlevsen, a Professor at Copenhagen University’s Niels Bohr Institute, will give the opening talk on the first day. Highly qualified in climate physics and dynamical systems, Ditlevsen has published over 100 papers and numerous scientific articles. His keynote presentation will focus on warning of a possible collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a current of vital importance in the global climate system. Recent studies have shown that this circulation is weakening, and predictions point to a possible collapse halfway through this century if the current trend in greenhouse gas emissions continues.

The speaker starting the second day of the congress will be Marta Coll, the Deputy Director of the Institut de Ciències del Mar. Her research focuses on the changes and threats to marine biodiversity and marine resources caused by human activities such as fishing and the climate change. Coll uses various ecosystem modelling techniques and statistical tools to analyse the dynamics of the marine communities and food webs, and her presentation will highlight the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems and the mitigation strategies necessary to preserve these vital resources.

Block I, Planetary Points of No Return, will feature a keynote speech by Jon Sáenz from the University of the Basque Country (UPV), who will talk about marine heatwaves in the southern Bay of Biscay and energy fluxes between the atmosphere and the ocean.

Block II, Extreme Events and Adaptation Measures, will feature guest Roland Garnier from AZTI, who will present the monitoring program for marsh restoration actions along the Basque coast. Additionally, Matthias Delpey from Rivages Pro Tech, SUEZ Eau France, will discuss the development of decision-support tools for managing the impacts of ocean storms along the coast of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, in the southwest of France.

Block III, Climate Change Mitigation in Coastal and Ocean Areas, will include a talk by Soledad Vivas Navarro, technical coordinator for Marine Environment at the Andalusian Agency for Environment and Water, who will present the LIFE Blue Natura project, focusing on blue carbon in Andalusia as a tool to mitigate climate change.

Finally, Block IV, Governance, Management Tools, and Communication, will feature two invited talks. First, a lecture by Iñigo Losada Rodríguez, research director at the Environmental Hydraulics Institute of Cantabria (IHCantabria), who will present a guide for risk assessment and adaptation to climate change in coastal areas. Secondly, María Josep Picó, a journalism professor at the University of Valencia, will give a lecture on “Coastal Governance in the Metaverse: Challenges for Communication, Participation, and Dialogue”.

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), Ihobe, the 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 Climate (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).