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Training Course for Nature-Based Solutions

Free self-paced course is designed especially for people who plan, design, support, or influence the implementation of nature-based solutions in coastal areas..... Read More

5/22/20262 min read

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO's OceanTeacher Global Academy eLearning platform has released a new training course, developed by the Horizon Europe project A-AAGORA - Atlantic Arctic Agora, on 'Building Skills for Coastal Restoration with Nature and People.'

A-AAGORA is structured to support the European Commission Mission to "Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030" within the "Atlantic-Arctic Lighthouse".

Coastal ecosystems are under increasing pressure from climate change, biodiversity loss, and human activities. Nature-based solutions offer practical ways to address these challenges.

🔵 This 25-hour, self-paced course focuses on how nature-based solutions can be designed and implemented in real-world coastal contexts to restore these ecosystems while supporting climate resilience, biodiversity, and human well-being. Drawing on concrete examples from across Europe, it explores innovative restoration approaches and shows how they can be adapted and replicated in different regions. A-AAGORA is an EU-funded project focused on promoting sustainable blue growth in Europe’s marine and coastal regions. By combining scientific expertise, industry innovation, and community input, the project aims to enhance ecosystem health, support biodiversity, and strengthen climate resilience. With three demonstrators in Norway, Ireland, and Portugal, as well as seven associated regions, A-AAGORA develops and tests practical solutions tailored to each marine environment. These include ecological assessments, digital tools for monitoring biodiversity and habitats. By integrating environmental, social, and economic data, the project supports informed decision-making for both nature and society.

This free self paced course aims to enable the replication or development of innovative nature-based solutions and ecosystem based management that draw on community engagement for coastal restoration. Featuring diverse experts, real world experiences and 2 tailored training paths (practitioner and policy maker).

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, learners will:

Understand the ecological, social, and climate-related importance of coastal restoration, and why urgent, integrated action is needed to address biodiversity loss and climate change.
Apply the principles of Ecosystem-Based Management to coastal contexts, recognizing interactions between ecosystems, human activities, and governance across entire coastal systems.
Identify and assess Nature-Based Solutions for coastal restoration, understanding how they can deliver ecological, social, and climate benefits when embedded in real-world contexts.
Design inclusive, participatory restoration processes by engaging communities, stakeholders, and innovation ecosystems through tools such as Living Labs, citizen science, and ocean literacy.
Evaluate pathways for scaling up coastal restoration initiatives by addressing governance, financing, socio-economic impacts, and practical challenges to achieve lasting, system-level change.

Course content

Module 1. What is coastal nature restoration about

Module 2. How do we empower communities

Module 3. Which solutions are on the table

Module 4. How can Coastal restoration create socio economic value

Module 5. How can we enable innovations at a wider scale

Module 6. Ready to act?

Audience: Policy makers, local, regional & national authorities, Port Authorities, Coastal Zone Managers, Marine Spatial Planning Officers, Environmental Consultants, NGOs & IGOs networks, Social Scientists, Researchers

Language: English

📅 This course is available until the end of 2026.
Learn more 🔗 https://oceanexpert.org/event/5020

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