First meeting of the IOC technical working group (TWG) on coastal hazards

The first meeting of the IOC/TWG on Coastal Hazards will take place on 8-9 December in Paris. During the two-day meeting, experts should reach a consensus on the scope, structure, format and outline of the guidelines that IOC would like to develop in the coming months.

Exposure to natural marine-related hazards is expected to increase due both to growth in population density in low-lying coastal areas and the effects of global climate change.The development of recommendations and guidelines to assist coastal managers in their design of cost-effective strategies within the Integrated Coastal Area Management (ICAM) framework is responding to the request of Member States of addressing such issues into coastal areas planning in a sustainable way.

Building on the work of the IOC Programme on Integrated Coastal Area Management (ICAM), and the guidebook published in 2009 on Hazard Awareness and Risk Mitigation through ICAM (IOC Manual and Guide No 50),it is proposed that an IOC Technical Working Group (TWG) be established and supported with the objective to prepare guidelines and best practices on the identification and formulation of adaptation and mitigations strategies and plans that lower the risk and actual losses from marine related hazards,including climate change impacts.