Regional workshop on coastal resilience: strengthening early warning, preparedness, and anticipatory action in the Mediterranean

The Regional Workshop on Coastal Resilience will take place on 6 November 2026 in Lebanon, bringing together representatives of Mediterranean Arab Member States, Lebanese national institutions, United Nations entities, academia, civil society, and technical partners to strengthen regional cooperation on coastal disaster risk reduction.

Organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for Arab States, in partnership with Lebanon's National Disaster Risk Management Unit, the National Council for Scientific Research – Lebanon (CNRS-L), and the Arab Science and Technology Advisory Group, the workshop will address growing coastal risks, including sea-level rise, coastal flooding, tsunamis, and cascading hazards.

The opening session will feature remarks by Dr. Tamara Elzein, Lebanon's Minister of Environment; Dr. Chadi Abdallah, Secretary General of CNRS-L; Ms. Sandra Amlang, Chief of UNDRR's Regional Office for Arab States; Dr. Mustafa Al-Saadi, representing the League of Arab States; and Mr. Zahi Chahine, representing Lebanon's Disaster Risk Management Unit.

Discussions will explore how Mediterranean countries can strengthen the monitoring, assessment, and communication of changing coastal risks, drawing on scientific knowledge, remote sensing, and multi-hazard early warning systems to support risk-informed decision-making.

The workshop will also examine how forecasts and early warnings can be translated into effective preparedness and anticipatory action, including contingency planning, evacuation procedures, community engagement, and coordination among national and local institutions.

Through regional dialogue and knowledge exchange, participants will identify shared challenges and explore opportunities to strengthen technical cooperation, institutional coordination, and preparedness across Mediterranean Arab States.

The workshop aims to strengthen the connection between science, policy, and timely action, contributing to the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 and efforts to build more resilient coastal communities.