Supporting coastal communities – Insights and opportunities

Join us for a thought-provoking webinar hosted by NIHR HDRC Plymouth, where we’ll explore the unique challenges and opportunities facing coastal communities across the UK — and how research and innovation can help shape their future.

Drawing on extensive research from our colleagues at the University of Plymouth, this online session will showcase the innovative work being done to better understand and address the challenges facing local communities.

Speakers:

• Professor Sheena Asthana – Director of the Centre for Health Technology and Co-Director of the Centre for Coastal Communities, at the University of Plymouth
• Dr Alex Gibson – Senior Research Fellow at the University of Plymouth
• Professor Sheela Agarwal – Co-Director of the Centre for Coastal Communities, at the University of Plymouth

The speakers will present key findings from their upcoming book The Challenges Facing Britain’s Coastal Communities: a neglected divide. Policy Press and Dr Gibson will introduce a powerful new dashboard that offers access to a very substantial range of data at granular — Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) and Middle Super Output Area (MSOA) levels. Supporting the principles of Open Data and to facilitate data analysis by fellow academics and policy makers, these data are being collated on the Coastal England Small Area (CESA) data platform. This can be accessed at: https://alexgibsonplymouth.shinyapps.io/CESA_Beta/. The aim of this tool is to support evidence-based decision-making and foster collaboration across regions.

Whether you are part of another HDRC, an academic institution, or working in coastal policy or public health, this webinar is an opportunity to connect, learn, and explore new ways to work together.

Let’s build a national conversation around coastal resilience — and explore new opportunities to collaborate.