Webinar: Coastal Resilience

However, investments in coastal defenses have mostly focused so far on construction of seawalls, breakwaters, and other artificial structures, while neglecting the value of coastal habitats such as reefs, marshes and wetlands, as powerful natural tools who can serve as a critical first line of defense to reduce coastal hazards. 

For two decades, Prof Michael Beck has been leading ground-breaking research to rigorously quantify the social and economic benefits of reefs and wetlands. In 2020, he was awarded the AXA Research Fund Chair on Coastal Resilience at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

This webinar will examine how we can advance nature-based solutions in insurance, investing, and disaster risk reduction, which is the focus of his AXA Chair.

Prof. Beck will be discussing with expert partners from AXA’s Insurance and Investment divisions – AXA XL and AXA Investment Managers, the World Bank and the Geneva Association the challenges of coastal risk and the opportunities to accelerate investment in ecosystems for coastal protection

This webinar (info and registration) is part of The AXA Research Fund Expert Series, which brings together experts from academia, business, and public policy to discuss key risks in health, the environment, and the economy to promote informed decision-making.

Send an email to axaresearchfund@axa.com to register to follow the event live on 04 October 10-11am CEST or 04 October 5-6pm CEST.

Moderated by: Maryam Golnaraghi Ph.D, Director of Climate Change and Environment, The Geneva Association

With an introduction by: Marie Bogataj, Head of the AXA Research Fund and Foresight

Panel

Michael Beck, Research Professor and AXA Chair in Coastal Resilience at the University of California, Santa Cruz

Chip Cunliffe, Biodiversity Director at AXA XL

Shade Duffy, Director of Impact Management at AXA Investment Managers

Niels Holm-Nielsen, Practice Manager, Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), World Bank

Find the full biographies of the panelists here.