Session 1: Soil Preservation/Restoration, Healthy Food Production, Disease Management: Innovation and Socio‑Cultural Governance

• Soil degradation results from both human activity and natural processes and is a major socio-economic challenge as it negatively impacts food security, water quality andbiodiversity, worsens urbanization and migration and threatens human survival. Restoring degraded soil is crucial for environmental sustainability, social and economic development and cultural heritage. ​
• Food security and quality are fundamental to sustaining human life, health, and economic stability. Access to safe food is an indicator of a developed society that improves quality of life and increases life expectancy. Unsafe food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, orchemicals causes million illnesses annually which can lead to hospitalization and death. Climate change threatens global food production by reducing crop yields, decreasingnutritional quality, and damaging livestock and fisheries.  ​
• Effective disease management reduces mortality, minimizes complications, improvesquality of life, lowers healthcare costs and enables handling of both routine care andemergency situations. Proper management of infectious diseases limits transmission, prevents epidemics, and implements measures to combat pathogen resistance. Effective management of non-infectious diseases reduces complications, improves quality of life and enables early intervention. Climate change, which alters pathogen transmission, vector habitats and host susceptibility, as well as environmental pollutants, modernlifestyles, and poor food and water quality contribute to human disease. 

Session 2: Protection of Oceans, Seas & Waters and Sustainable Coastal Waste Management through Socio Ecological Transitions​

• Coastal and marine ecosystems are increasingly threatened by pollution, unsustainable resource use, habitat degradation and the accelerating impacts of climate change. Oceans, seas and freshwater bodies play a critical role in regulating global climate, supporting biodiversity and maintaining the livelihoods and cultural identity of coastal communities. However, rising sea temperatures, ocean acidification, plastic pollution and poorly managed coastal development are placing these ecosystems under severe stress. To safeguard the ecological integrity of marine environments and ensure long‑term sustainability, urgent measures are required that combine scientific innovation, effective governance, and inclusive socio‑ecological transitions.​
• Sustainable coastal waste management addresses challenges posed by accumulating municipal waste, marine litter, microplastics and industrial runoff. Integrated waste management strategies - such as circular economy practices, improved recycling systems, community‑based clean‑up initiatives and sustainable port waste management - help reduceenvironmental pressures on coastal zones. 

Session 3: Infrastructure & Nature Based Solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation with Local Knowledge & Cultural Practices​

Coastal regions are permanently exposed to natural hazards, such as earthquakes, floods, storms, heat and fires and climate change poses increasing challenges for these regions, intensifying the frequency and severity of natural hazards. Rising sea levels and coastal erosion threaten both natural ecosystems and critical infrastructure, while extreme weather events, such as storms, heavy rainfall and heatwaves are becoming more unpredictable. The combination of extreme heat, prolonged drought and strong winds increases the risk of firesthat can threaten human life and property in semi-urban and urban areas. These phenomena pose significant threats to communities of coastal cities and to the resilience and functionality of coastal infrastructure, and effective disaster risk management is therefore essential to reduce their impact and strengthen adaptive capacity. Understanding and addressing these risks require integrated approaches that combine innovative engineering solutions and astrong collaboration with local communities.