TRATT’EAU Project

The IPCC’s sixth report reminds us that global warming is causing sea levels to rise, coastlines to recede and increased threats to coastal areas. Within the scope of the Interreg Marittimo programme, large sections of the Mediterranean coastline are directly affected, with potentially major impacts on the local economy.

The TRATT’Eau project responds to the need for a joint approach to engage local stakeholders, prepare them for adaptation and support them in addressing this challenge. A three-pronged approach to building sustainable economic resilience, deployed across four pilot areas: Nice (France), Bastia (France), La Spezia (Italy) and Massa-Carrara (Italy).

Component 1 – Measuring direct and indirect threats in areas affected by coastal erosion

Led by the CCI Nice Côte d’Azur, this first component aims to identify and quantify the direct and indirect economic threats to coastal areas exposed to coastal erosion.

Dynamic flood mapping will be developed based on different climate scenarios (for 2040, 2070 and 2100) in order to visualise potentially submerged areas and assess their impact on local businesses. These data will be used to develop an economic analysis methodology capable of estimating potential losses, identifying the most vulnerable sectors and measuring the effects on employment — an approach that can be replicated in other European territories.

To raise awareness, an interactive web narrative will present the challenges of coastal erosion and its consequences for economic actors and the general public in an educational manner.

Finally, this component includes a concrete technological investment with the installation of a tide gauge to measure sea level variations in real time and enrich the predictive models developed as part of the project.

Component 2 – Assessment of land mobilisation and relocation support

This second component, led by the municipalities of La Spezia and the Province of Massa-Carrara in close collaboration with the Urban Planning Department of the Nice Côte d’Azur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, focuses on assessing the capacity to mobilise land for economic activities in order to support the relocation of businesses exposed to coastal erosion.

The objective is twofold: to identify the economic activities most threatened by rising sea levels and to identify opportunities for relocation to less vulnerable sites. To this end, an economic land observatory will be set up to identify available land resources and areas likely to accommodate new developments.

At the same time, the project will work on developing a long-term land strategy, in partnership with local authorities and the State, in order to integrate these issues into planning and urban development documents.

Awareness-raising workshops will bring together public and private stakeholders to discuss these issues, promoting a concerted and operational approach. Finally, a territorial commitment charter will be proposed for signature by the partners in order to anchor this collective dynamic in the long term and strengthen the economic resilience of coastal areas.

Component 3 – Information on risks and adaptation of public policies

The third component of the TRATT’Eau project focuses on raising awareness and supporting public decision-makers in the face of coastal retreat issues. The objective is to transform climate awareness into concrete and shared actions at the regional level.

Led by AVITEM, this component is based on a process of co-creating practical tools with local authorities, institutions and public actors. These tools aim to facilitate understanding of the risks, identify barriers and levers for action, and encourage the integration of coastal erosion into local planning and development policies.

The approach favours education and cooperation in order to raise awareness without causing alarm and to involve decision-makers in a sustainable and reasoned adaptation process. Accessible communication materials and forums for discussion will help to mobilise collective intelligence, strengthen risk culture and promote the emergence of more resilient public policies