The island will host, on 25 November, an in-person technical conference that will bring together experts, public authorities and citizens to address resilience solutions to climate change
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 14 November 2025. The European project LIFE COSTAdapta will hold the First Conference on Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change in Island Regions next Tuesday, 25 November. The event will be in person and will bring together European institutions, local and regional authorities, universities and organisations specialised in coastal management. The conference will take place at the headquarters of the Gran Canaria Island Energy Council (CIEGC) and is part of the activities scheduled within the EU Region Week, Europe’s leading forum for territorial cooperation and innovation in public policies.
The opening session will be delivered by Raúl García Brink, Councillor for Environment, Climate, Energy and Knowledge of the Island Council of Gran Canaria, who will outline the island’s strategic commitment to coastal resilience. This introduction will be followed by Adrián Noheda, project manager and EU funding expert at the Finnova Foundation, who will provide an overview of the LIFE Programme’s opportunities and the importance of European cooperation in climate adaptation
The first block, focused on technical and scientific analysis, will be moderated by Patricia Caro Ruiz, project manager at the Institute of Oceanography and Global Change (IOCAG). Presentations will address methodological advances of the LIFE COSTAdapta project, current coastal dynamics in Gran Canaria and the challenges linked to sea-level rise. Speakers include Cecilia Ribalaygua Batalla (University of Cantabria), Leire Fernández Prieto (Raley Estudios Costeros), Aridane González González (University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria), and Gustavo Pestana Pérez, Head of Climate Change for the Government of the Canary Islands.
The second block will take the form of a round table and will offer an overview of European coastal adaptation projects and experiences. The session will be moderated by Adrián Noheda, project manager at Finnova Foundation. Experts from the projects NATALIE, Blue Green Governance, IMPLACOST, MasDunas and Las Galletas, together with technical personnel from LIFE COSTAdapta, will take part. Among the participants are Rafael Herrera Checa, Gustavo Pestana, Aridane González, Jesús González Navarro, Marta Martínez Pérez and Patricia Caro Ruiz.
The conference aims to create a space for collective reflection on the transition towards a more resilient coastline. It also seeks to bring citizens and local stakeholders closer to the objectives of LIFE COSTAdapta and to clarify questions regarding coastal use, ensuring that adaptation measures will not interfere with the traditional enjoyment of beaches and will preserve the coastal identity of Gran Canaria.
LIFE COSTAdapta is advancing the design of an innovative system of progressive reefs and tidal pools intended to protect vulnerable coastal areas from sea-level rise. The project has a total budget of €3,337,563, of which €2,002,538 is co-funded by the European Union through the LIFE Programme. The consortium is composed of the CIEGC, the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the University of Cantabria, INGECID, Raley Estudios Costeros, ECOncrete AQUA, the Canary Islands Foundation for Recycling and Sustainable Development and the Finnova Foundation.
Participation in the conference is free of charge, subject to limited capacity, and requires prior registration via the following link: I Jornada de Adaptación Costera: el Proyecto LIFE COSTAdapta Tickets, Tue, Nov 25, 2025 at 9:00 AM | Eventbrite
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