Episode 5 - Co-Designing the Coast: From Science to Shared Solutions

00:00:05: Things begin, things end.

00:00:08: This podcast ends for now with this episode but it stays resilient!

00:00:16: Across the series we explored how Costa Resilience takes form.

00:00:21: We've seen How knowledge is built over time?

00:00:25: How education shapes people who will carry these work forward?

00:00:29: How technology makes risks more visible and how justice becomes central when impacts are not shared equally.

00:00:39: How do all these elements come together in practice?

00:00:43: The answer lies in collaboration, Not as a generic idea but as a structure process that connects institutions disciplines and communities That don't always speak the same language.

00:00:57: This is where the Partner Alliance Network of the DCCCR comes in!

00:01:03: That's what we're going to talk about today.

00:01:09: My name is Federica Orsi and this is Green Tides, a podcast by the Decade Collaborative Centre for Coastal Resilience about people science ideas that are shaping in future of our coasts.

00:01:33: Penn or Partner Alliance Network is more than partnership.

00:01:37: to us it's framework designed connect different expertise turn them into something operational because the future of cost and resilience is not written in laboratory.

00:01:51: It takes shape elsewhere, in conversation, in shared decisions... ...in the gradual alignment between those who study the coasts….

00:02:00: …and those who live and manage it every day!

00:02:04: Resilience begins to emerge when scientists, engineers, policymakers & communities are no longer working in parallel but together.

00:02:14: Within this network, research institutions contribute their knowledge in complementary ways allowing scientific research, modeling systems and capacity-building activities to reinforce each other instead of remaining separate.

00:02:31: To better explain Penn we spoke with two partners – Harrow & Deltares.

00:02:37: they operate different contexts but share common objectives making Costa Resilience usable, accessible and actionable.

00:02:51: Let's start with Herron where Johanna Staneva works.

00:02:55: I am Johannes Stanevan.

00:02:57: i'm Head of Department Hydrodynamics & Data Simulation at Hemcord Zentrum in Germany

00:03:03: The Helmholtz Centrum.

00:03:05: Herron is a research center working on coastal systems, climate dynamics and sustainable solutions for the interaction between human activities and their environment.

00:03:17: Its work is grounded in advanced modelling data simulation and forecasting systems but what defines its approach is the attention to how these tools are used.

00:03:29: Producing data alone isn't enough!

00:03:32: What really matters is whether it can support decisions.

00:03:36: In this context, stakeholder engagement is meaningful.

00:03:41: Science becomes meaningful when it can support society in understanding and responding to change but heroin-stakeholder engagement isn't something that happens only after the science has completed It's integrated into process from very beginning.

00:04:02: When we develop coastal resilience demonstrator or digital twins, We try to understand not only the scientific challenges but also practical needs of people who will use this information.

00:04:15: This means that accessibility transparency and interoperability becomes part of the scientific design itself Within the DCC for Coastal Resilience Framework.

00:04:28: The partner alliance network is especially valuable

00:04:32: because

00:04:33: it connects different institutes which we have complementary expertise, forecasting modeling observations and even stakeholder engagement in capacity building.

00:04:47: And all these help create solutions that are not only scientific robust but also relevant for real coastal needs and for real decision-making context.

00:05:01: At Herion, stakeholder engagement is not treated as a separate phase.

00:05:07: it's embedded in the process itself.

00:05:10: Forecasting systems are developed with use of mind which means that accessibility clarity and relevance become part of scientific design.

00:05:21: coastal regions are increasingly exposed to multiple and interconnected pressures.

00:05:28: Those can be storm surges, sea level rise flood erosion marine heat waves and ecosystem degradation.

00:05:36: Coastal systems also expose many human activities tourism offshore wind energy recreation.

00:05:44: To respond effectively decision makers need information that is not only scientific accurate but also timely, accessible and understandable.

00:05:57: This where predicting services especially the digital twins of the ocean can make an important contribution.

00:06:06: Digital twins allow us to combine observations forecasting systems models artificial intelligence and a variety of environmental data into interactive platforms.

00:06:21: that helps us to better understand how coastal systems evolve under different scenarios.

00:06:28: Through the partner alliance network of the DCC of Coastal Resilience, these technologies also benefit from shared infrastructures, operable data systems more importantly international scientific cooperation across different coastal regions and this is really essential because resilience cannot be developed in isolation.

00:06:57: Anyway, our last question for Johanna was about co-designing processes In which different actors bring a different form of knowledge.

00:07:07: How does Herron facilitated these dialogues?

00:07:11: Co-design requires more than scientific expertise.

00:07:15: It requires the ability to connect different perspectives and different ways of understanding the cost.

00:07:22: At Heroin, we work in highly interdisciplinary environments where oceanographers, engineers climate scientists social scientist and stakeholders contribute together through this same process.

00:07:38: facilitating dialogue means creating spaces where scientific knowledge and practical expertise can interact constructively.

00:07:49: Digital twin technology enhances and facilitates this process.

00:07:56: Our role is often to translate between different forms of expertise, linking scientific information with operational needs in policy contexts.

00:08:08: DCC for Postal Resilience is particularly important in this context

00:08:13: because

00:08:14: it creates long-term collaboration between institutions that would not normally work so closely together, Because resilience cannot be built through isolated knowledge.

00:08:28: It emerges through dialogue, collaboration and shared responsibility.

00:08:34: Science becomes meaningful when it can support society in understanding and responding to the change.

00:08:45: And now, here comes our next partner!

00:08:48: If Aaron taught us how knowledge becomes usable, Deltares does something different.

00:08:57: Deltares is an independent research institute based in The Netherlands working on water systems, coastal dynamics & climate adaptation.

00:09:07: Its mission is to develop applied knowledge that can support societies in managing water-related challenges, from flood risk to long term adaptation strategies.

00:09:19: What makes Deltares unique?

00:09:21: Is the strong commitment to openness and capacity building.

00:09:25: Resilience is shaped by knowledge And how that knowledge is accessed and applied.

00:09:32: This concept is gold for our next guest Loretta Cornacchia.

00:09:37: I'm Loretta Cornacchia, researcher at Deltares in the Department of Data Science and Water Quality.

00:09:43: And I am specialized in ecological and coastal modelling.

00:09:46: First we ask Lorette how do Deltare's open source models and tools influence stakeholder engagement?

00:09:55: At Deltarez We openly share our knowledge and have expressed this in a motto there to share which means that we aim to make our knowledge models as accessible as possible.

00:10:06: And we believe openness really changes the relationship between scientists and stakeholders, because when tools are open people can see how results are produced all the underlying assumptions and uncertainties.

00:10:20: That creates transparency but at the same time also trust in the result.

00:10:25: it becomes a dialogue where knowledge is shared and also improved together.

00:10:30: That's really the strength of where co-design begins when people are able to engage with science and not just receive it.

00:10:38: When models are shared, knowledge becomes something that can be discussed question and improved collectively And this is where trust begins to take shape.

00:10:48: But tools aren't your only part of Loreta's job Capacity building in central too.

00:10:55: But how do training programmes translate complex science into practical resilience?

00:11:01: For the TARES, capacity building means moving from knowledge to action.

00:11:06: We think it's not enough understand a model.

00:11:09: what matters is whether you can use in practice support decisions and this often mean that main way of creating impact through co-creation with stakeholders users decision makers And that's why at Deltares we focus strongly on knowledge uptake.

00:11:25: In our trainings, participants often can bring in their own data and their real local challenges.

00:11:31: so at the end of training they will be able to directly connect what they have learned through daily work.

00:11:37: Overall by disseminating our knowledge through trainings We are working towards supporting both societal challenges and public policy And we believe that's essential for residents because residents cannot just be delivered from outside.

00:11:52: It has to develop locally by the people who are able to act on knowledge and science themselves.

00:12:00: Training changes the role of people involved, it enables practitioners can move from being user-of-information to active participants in a process... ...and doing so makes resilience something that can be developed locally not only imported.

00:12:18: International collaboration is essential because coastal challenges, as we know are global but solutions always need to be adapted to the local context and at DeltaRest would really work at an intersection of global knowledge and local application.

00:12:33: We bring in models data and methods that have been developed internationally But we always adapt them together with our partners.

00:12:42: In initiative like DCCCR this becomes very concrete.

00:12:46: As you know, the Partner Alliance Network involves different institutes that contribute complementary expertise such as climate science, coastal modelling and resilience strategies And then jointly we get together to develop practical tools like forecasting risk assessments just to name a few.

00:13:05: That makes collaboration an two-way process.

00:13:08: We believe it's really the strength of DCCCR at the Partner alliance network.

00:13:13: It creates a structure collaboration where science, stakeholders' decision-making are all connected.

00:13:20: so knowledge doesn't just exist but it leads to action as well.

00:13:24: So in a way that's not about sharing knowledge and science... ...but working together in ways that allow people use it and take action.

00:13:34: Loreta reminds us that stakeholder engagement is not only about participation….

00:13:40: …it is about enabling others to act!

00:13:44: Looking at heron and deltaris together, a common pattern emerges.

00:13:49: Resilience takes shape where knowledge is shared Where tools are accessible And while collaboration is sustained over time Because resilience it's not delivered.

00:14:02: It is built overtime through interaction negotiation and share responsibility.

00:14:11: So this the end of our last episode.

00:14:15: Throughout this first season of Green Tide, we followed a path.

00:14:21: We began by understanding why Costa resilience matters exploring how it is taught, modelled and experienced in communities around the world And now...we arrive at point where all these elements converge Where we meet most important insight The coast isn't just where lands meets sea.

00:14:44: It is where responsibilities meet, and where each of us has a role in shaping and safeguarding what we share.

00:14:53: We hope this series changed the way you think about the coast!

00:14:57: In that case – This Is The Moment to Stay Connected.

00:15:01: Follow the work of DCCCR & the Partner Alliance Network through links in description

00:15:07: Explore

00:15:08: the project Join the conversations Stay engaged with people and science working on more resilient coastal futures through our website and initiatives.

00:15:20: And until next season, protect & respect our coastal ocean!

00:15:44: Green Tides is a podcast by DCCCR Decade Collaborative Centre for Coastal Resilience produced by POTSAR Narrator Federica Orsi Writing Lorenzo Molino Sound Design Antonio Mezzadra Graphics – Laura Fracasso, Producer – Esther Memeo.

00:16:04: Special thanks to CMCC, Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change, Herron and Deltares!