On September 10th  2024, Research Assistant, Andrew Williams, represented the NBS-ENGROSSED project at the 38th International Conference on Coastal Engineering (ICCE) in Rome.

ICCE was held from the 8th – 14th of September at the Pontifical Gregorian University. The Conference is considered one of the most important international events in the field of coastal engineering and is aimed at sharing and promoting knowledge and innovation.

Sessions covered topics such as vegetation hydrodynamics, extreme weather events, compound coastal flooding, numerical wave modelling, sediment transport, shoreline modelling, run-up and machine learning and AI for coastal protection.

Andrew’s presentation was titled “Strengthening the Case for Nature-based Solutions in the Caribbean”.

The presentation highlighted the challenges faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and stressed the importance of Nature-based Solutions, especially coral reefs, in building resilience along coastlines.

In particular, it discussed our project’s numerical modeling work, and how this approach can overcome the challenges faced by physical modeling. While physical models can offer valuable insights, they often face limitations in the range of parameters that can be tested, as well as wave reflection in a laboratory setting. 

Understanding how the different physical features of coral reefs impact wave attenuation is critical to effectively implementing Nature-based Solutions. Numerical modelling can address these limitations and contribute to better understanding the level of coastal protection coral reefs can offer. 

We are grateful for the opportunity to have attended and presented our work at the ICCE!