Climate change is one of the most urgent issues of our time and among the most challenging to address. This is particularly relevant for vulnerable coastal communities living in the Mediterranean climate regions, such as southern Europe, and south Australia who have experienced severe climate variability and/or change over the past few decades. This presentation highlights how Australia, Greece, and Spain have faced increased risks from physical exposure to sea level rise, coastal erosion, storm surge, saltwater intrusion, drought with implications for coastal infrastructure, properties and ecosystems. It further presents the complex local dimensions of climate change adaptation relevant for maintaining a wide range of livelihoods and ecosystems in these regions. I will also demonstrate the essential nature of utilizing participatory approaches, which include active engagement of local communities and a wide range of stakeholders for the formulation and implementation of climate adaptation policies and strategies.

Dr. Sandra Fatorić is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at the NC State University's College of Natural Resources, where she is researching climate adaptation planning and decision-making on the Cape Lookout National Seashore (Outer Banks, NC). Sandra earned her Ph.D. in Geography and M.S. in Environmental Studies with specialization in Global Change and Climate Change from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain, and B.S. in Geography from the University of Primorska, Slovenia. Her areas of expertise are coastal vulnerability and adaptation to climate change, coastal management and conservation, climate risk, environmental policy and governance, and environmental migration and human security.

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