Dr Daryl Burdon, Prof David Atkinson & Prof Jim Gilbert
The Coast-R network is a £2m investment by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Defra that sits alongside the £14.8m Resilient Coastal Communities and Seas (ReCCS) programme that funds TRANSECTS and three related projects. On 5-6th November the Coast-R team and the four ReCCS projects gathered in Hull for a launch event. We met our partner ReCCS project teams, and we learned more about the Coast-R network’s role in enabling and enhancing improved understanding of our coastal regions and their social resilience.
The Coast-R Network has distinctive roles. Headed by Prof. Briony McDonagh (University of Hull), it includes researchers from the Universities of Aberystwyth, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool and Southampton, plus representatives of coastal communities from across the UK (https://www.ukcoastalresilience.org). It will develop an inclusive and collaborative research programme and it will involve community-led evaluations in coastal resilience decisions.
Alongside TRANSECTS (TRANSitions In Energy For Coastal Communities Over Time And Space (TRANSECTS) the three other Resilient Coastal Communities and Seas (ReCCS) projects are:
- ARISE (Advancing Resilience and Innovation for a Sustainable Environment (ARISE) – Coast R Network)
- RACC (Resilience of Anthropocene Coasts and Communities (RACC) – Coast R Network)
- TRACC (Transformative Research Actions for Resilient Coastal Communities (TRACC) – Coast R Network)
The network launch began with drinks and dinner at Hull’s The Deep aquarium on Tuesday 5 November. Sixty-five guests included the project teams, the Coast-R network representatives, and a range of local and national stakeholders. Prof Dave Petley (Vice-Chancellor, University of Hull) welcomed delegates and Prof Briony McDonagh then introduced the Coast-R Network.
The programme continued at the University of Hull on Wednesday 6 November. Over 120 delegates represented a range of local and national sectors; Prof David Atkinson and Prof Jim Gilbert (University of Hull) and Dr Daryl Burdon (Daryl Burdon Ltd.) represented TRANSECTS. The first session introduced the agenda of the Coast-R network and the four ReCCS projects.
Next came an inspirational recorded introduction from Emma Hardy – Labour MP for Kingston Upon Hull West and Haltemprice and Minister for Water and Flooding (Defra) who emphasised the inter-dependencies of society and nature and highlighted the importance of the Coast-R network and the associated projects in promoting understanding of these issues. Andrew Telford, of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), then outlined the Resilient Coastal Communities and Seas Programme.
An introductory panel session then featured representatives from various user-communities who outlined their hopes for the programme and why they were supporting the initiative. These partners included: The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales; The Crown Estate; Cefas and the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership; The Local Government Association Coastal Special Interest Group; The National Centre for Resilience; National Resources Wales; and The National Trust.
A networking lunch followed and Prof David Atkinson, Prof Jim Gilbert and Dr Daryl Burdon were on hand to outline the TRANSECTS project to delegates and discuss potential collaborations. David also provided some soundbites to camera that will be used to introduce TRANSECTS and Coast-R.
The final session comprised interactive workshops that explored the challenges of addressing environmental problems in contemporary societies; case-studies addressed included a Collaborative Coastal Enquiry, the Co-creation of a Living Glossary, and doing Deep Mining using a range of media sources.
The discussions throughout the day were captured excellently using Visual Minutes by two extremely talented artists from More Than Minutes (https://www.morethanminutes.co.uk).