On 5 May, Professor Agustin Sanchez-Arcilla, REST-COAST Project Coordinator from the Universitat Politécnica De Cataluña, shared insights about the project on Radio Marinara, an Australian programme known for its engaging coverage of marine and coastal news.

During the interview, Professor Sanchez-Arcilla highlighted REST-COAST’s mission to demonstrate that natural solutions can effectively compete with conventional coastal protection methods. These solutions include salt-water marshlands, various types of dunes, and seagrass beds. The primary goal is to promote coastal blue carbon by using natural solutions, thereby reducing the carbon footprint.

He emphasised that REST-COAST, as part of the Green Deal projects, aims to achieve two main objectives: decarbonising coastal protection and addressing the biodiversity crisis. By fostering healthy natural habitats, the project seeks to reduce erosion and flooding risks while enhancing coastal blue carbon and biodiversity.

Professor Sanchez-Arcilla also discussed the challenges faced, including financial and technical constraints, as well as issues related to social perception and governance. To tackle these hurdles, REST-COAST has established the Coastal Restoration Platform and plans to develop a Coastal Restoration Contract as a lasting legacy of the project.

One significant positive outcome noted so far is bringing together different administrations and specialists, such as river and marine engineers, and convincing them why fostering a unified approach and potential synergies would bring shared benefits.

Listen to the full interview here.