The Association of Caribbean States (ACS), in partnership with the Korean Institute of Ocean Science (KIOST), under the Grant Arrangement with the Korean Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for the project "Climate Change Impact Assessment on the Sandy Shorelines of the Caribbean: Alternatives for Its Control and Resilience” has sent a delegation to Sydney, Australia for the 37th International Conference on Coastal Engineering (ICCE) from the 4th to 9th December, 2022. This exciting event brings together experts and colleagues to promote academic and technical exchange on coastal related studies. The topics to be covered in the event cover a wide range of topics including coastal waves, nearshore currents, coastal structures, sediment transport, coastal morphology, beach nourishment, natural hazards and coastal management. It is the premier coastal engineering conference held biennially under the auspices of the Coastal Engineering Research Council of COPRI  

The delegation’s attendance is in support of Dr Jose Luis Juanes, Technical Coordinator of the Sandy Shorelines Project who is scheduled to present a poster exhibit entitled “Beach Erosion on Caribbean Sandy Beaches” coming out of the work on the Sandy Shorelines Project. Dr. Jose Luis Juanes works with the Institute of Marine Sciences of Cuba (ICIMAR) and is equipped with expertise in matters concerning marine and coastal preservation. 

The delegation’s attendance at the Conference event also fulfils an important mandate of Component 2 of the Sandy Shorelines Project which is the participation in /attendance at Capacity Building Exercises/ Symposia. 

The Sandy Shorelines Project is an initiative launched in joint effort between the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) and the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to strengthen the region’s research efforts into beach preservation and rehabilitation. One of the main points of interest for the ACS is climate change and the ripple effect that it can have on the nations of the Greater Caribbean Region. With this project, the desired goal is that we can help spread knowledge through the island nations, as they are the ones who will face the socioeconomic aftereffects of depleted coastlines.