Twelfth International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts & Responses - Virtual Conference

  • 2020 Special Focus—Adaptation: Lessons from Venice
  • 16 April 2020
  • Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Venice, Italy

2020 Special Focus—Adaptation: Lessons from Venice

Throughout its history, the city of Venice has faced head-on the challenges posed by a constantly changing natural environment. Rather than “fighting” nature, its inhabitants have adopted a “living with” approach. As such, there is a long history of adaptation measures: from the use of barriers and gangways against the acqua alta, or the sophisticated tide forecast system. These measures have always merged ancient knowledge with modern prediction and communication networks. Today, the speed and size of ongoing changes require the adoption of specific and effective structural and non-structural measures, but because of this long history, Venice is not caught unprepared. With the support of European, national, and local institutions, Venice developed a general plan of interventions for the safeguard of the city. These plans include coastal reinforcement, morphological restoration, the reclamation of polluted sites, a system of mobile sea barriers, city pavement elevation, and general urban maintenance. The measures that Venice has taken to manage flood risk and protect its cultural heritage have earned it status as one of the role model cities in the “Making Cities Resilient” UNISDR Campaign. Currently, the City of Venice, with the support of CO.RI.LA., is working on the evaluation of climate change risk and vulnerability for the Venice islands and mainland, to be included in the new Climate Action Plan on adaptation and mitigation goals for 2050. At this year’s International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts & Responses we aim to tell the story of these plans, insights, and actions of adaptation: the lessons from Venice.

Welcome Remarks and Plenary Speakers

Welcome Address

Dr. Phillip Kalantzis-Cope, Chief Social Scientist, Common Ground Research Networks, IL, United States

Dr. Victoria Hurth, Senior Associate at the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership and Visiting Fellow of Cambridge Judge Business School, UK

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Plenary Session

Dr. Victoria Hurth, Senior Associate at the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership and Visiting Fellow of Cambridge Judge Business School, UK

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Tony Juniper, CBE, Chair, Natural England, United Kingdom

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Pierpaolo Campostrini, Managing Director, CORILA, Consortium for Managing Scientific Research on Venice Lagoon System, Venice, Italy

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Emerging Scholar Awardees

For each conference, a small number of Emerging Scholar Awards re given to outstanding graduate students and emerging scholars who have an active academic interest in the conference area. The Award, with its accompanying responsibilities provides a strong professional development opportunity for early career academics. The 2020 Emerging Scholar Awardees are listed below.

  • Monirul Islam, University of Tsukuba, Doctoral Student, Japan
  • Cathal Nolan, University College Cork, Ireland
  • Katarina Dordevic, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Amy Schweikert, Colorado School of Mines, USA
  • Abiola Ojo, Lead City University, Nigeria
  • Long-Chen (Tommy) Li, Project Leader, Chemists Without Borders, USA
  • Omolola Victoria Akinola, University of Missouri, USA
  • Pin Wang, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China
  • Muhammed Elayadeth Meethal, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, India
  • Adriana Milazzo, The University of Adelaide, Australia


Virtual Presentations

Virtual Posters

Virtual Posters present preliminary results of work or projects that lend themselves to visual representations. View the posters below.

Virtual Presentations

Virtual Presentations are grouped by general themes. Each presenter's formal, written paper will be available to participants if accepted to the journal.