Climate change and coastal landscape evolution in the Mediterranean context
Climate, environment and energy
Environmental Sciences Urbanism and Geography
The BIP hosted by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, focuses on field activities and new field methods and techniques. The BIP will provide undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD students with different academic background opportunities to learn about the coastal environmental sustainability issues in a climate change era in a coastal environment affected by humans. In this way, students from the CIVIS alliance will be fully trained, gaining academic and cultural experience of different universities and countries. They will learn new techniques and acquire more qualifications for the job market.
The virtual part of this BIP will combine online pre-recorded lectures and activities with synchronous instructor-led discussions. It will give students the theoretical background on the subjects of this course, but also introduce them virtually to the study area of the physical mobility. The aim is for the students to be acquainted with the visiting sites prior to the physical mobility, so that, while in the field, more focus can be given on the application and training in methods and techniques and to establish more fruitful discussions between students and tutors and interaction between tutors from different countries and disciplines.
The 5-day field part will be held on the island of Naxos and Koufonisi in the Aegean Archipelago, Greece. The entire area is already affected by climate change, which is obvious from changes in vegetation, freshwater availability, runoff erosion, flash flood events, desertification, landslides, and coastal erosion. The coastal zone is affected by fluvial, tectonic and aeolian coastal processes and human interventions and thus the interdisciplinary approach by this partnership is important. The coastal landscape provides spectacular examples of sea level fluctuations, indicators of former sea level, the interaction between landscape and humans from antiquity until today, and well-developed coastal landforms. The active geomorphology, the processes including tectonics are amazingly self-explanatory and is a unique example for our students to better understand landscape evolution and how it is affected by climate change. The area offers an excellent opportunity for discussions about adaptation and mitigation strategies and nature-based solutions (NBS).
- Climate change impact on the landscape
- Climate change impact on the environment
- Human impact on the landscape and the ecology
- Palaeoenvironmental changes and palaeogeographic evolution / reconstruction
- Current societal challenges, including the future of lagoons
- Climate change indicators
- Coastal processes
- Morphotectonics
- Nature based solutions to cope with coastal erosion
- Nature based solutions to re-built sand dunes
- The future of coastal lagoons
The course will provide to students:
- Understanding origin and patterns of climate change from North to South
- Understanding climate change and landscape evolution in the Mediterranean context
- Understanding how climate change is affecting the landscape
- Training on coastal landscape topics
- New competences on coastal geomorphological methods and techniques
- Theoretical thinking and ability to turn theory into practice
- Problem-solving ability through application of knowledge
- Record, analysis and composition of data and information by using the necessary technologies
- Teamwork
- Work in interdisciplinary environment
- Respect of the natural environment
2025/2026
Master's
PhD candidates/ students
Bachelor's
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Aix-Marseille Université
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
University of Bucharest
Stockholms Universitet
Paris Londron University of Salzburg
English
B2
The physical mobility section of the BIP will take place between 29th June - 3rd July 2026 in Naxos & Pano-Koufonisi island, Aegean Archipelagos, Cyclades, Greece.
The physical component will be divided into two main parts: field activities and laboratory activities. The list below indicates the main subjects that will be discussed and the main activities in the field and in the lab.
- Beachrocks as sea level indicators: how to map them, how to sample them
- Coastal erosion and methods
- Coastal evolution. Mapping and sampling
- Coastal geomorphological mapping using GIS tools
- Coastal processes, coastal evolution, discussion
- Future of lagoons
- Palaeogeographical evolution / reconstruction
- Protection of vulnerable coastal environments
- Sand dunes: natural vs human-induced factors
- The role of beachrocks for coastal protection
- Vulnerability
- Aerial photography-aerial photogrammetry
- Analysing coastline based on RTK -GNSS measurements
- Analysing data collected in the field
- Cross section development
- RTK cross sections, - RTK-GNSS mapping sand dunes
- Core sampling
- Morphodynamics
- Nature-based solutions to cope with coastal erosion
- Nature-based solutions to restore sand dunes
Some of the tools/methods used during the field activities are: ArcGIS Field Maps, Sampling hard coastal formations (e.g. beachrocks), Samping sand dunes, Core analysis, Drone, GIS, MIKE or other software, Morphological Mapping, Numerical simulation / wave propagation, OSL Sampling, Photogrammetry, ROV, RTK-GNSS, Sampler, Sand dune traps, Vibra core samping
Τhe virtual component will be preparatory to set the basis to better understand the physical part. It will take place on Mondays between 4th May-8th June 2026 at 18:00 CET with a duration of 2 hours and will introduce students to the theoretical background on coastal zone processes, landforms and evolution, the theoretical background of climate change and its effects on the coastal Mediterranean landscape. It will include live presentations but also asynchronous training tools such as multimedia material and recorded lectures. It will also include virtual fieldtrips by the tutors of the host institution, as well as virtual reality tools to 'visit' in advance the sites included in the physical component. The aim is for the students to be acquainted with the study sites prior to the physical mobility so that, while in the field, more focus can be made on the application and training in methods and techniques in coastal geomorphological topics.
Some of the topics covered in this part will be:
- Climate change and landscape evolution
- Coastal processes and Coastal landforms
- Coastal evolution - Vulnerability based on geomorphic hazards
- The role of tectonics to the landscape
- Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction
- Introduction to the Cyclades environment and the evolution of Naxos coastal zone
- The future of the lagoons
- Desertification
- Flash floods and climate change
- Landslides and climate change
- Nature-based solutions for coping coastal issues
- Understanding the landscape and the processes
The methods used to assess students learning include:
- Oral presentations and gaming assessment (40%)
- Sustainability field activities (60%).
The programme is open to Bachelor's, Master's and PhD students at CIVIS member universities with a background in areas related to Natural Sciences, Geology, Geomorhology, Environmental Sciences. Students from other disciplines such as Humanities and Social Sciences applied to environmental research may join especially if they are interested in landscape evolution and climate change impacts.
- Bachelor students should be toward the end of their studies.
- Students should have good English language skills. (B2)
The following skills are also desirable:
- New competences on coastal geomorphological methods and techniques
- Theoretical thinking and ability to turn theory into practice
- Problem solving ability through application of knowledge
- Search, analysis and composition of data and information by using the necessary technologies
- Teamwork
- Work in interdisciplinary environment
- Respect of the natural environment
Motivation Letter
Level of english (According to CEFR)
CV
Student applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
CV, motivation letter, and the relevance of the students' studies with the subject of the BIP.
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
- Dr. Niki Evelpidou, Professor, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment
- Dr. Kontantinos Vorgias, Professor, Faculty of Biology
- Dr. Anna Karkani, Laboratory Teaching Staff, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment
- Dr. Giannis Saitis, Researcher, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment
University of Bucharest
- Dr. Mihaela Verga, Lecturer, Faculty of Geography
- Dr. Alfred Vespremeanu-Stroe, Professor of Physical Geography, Faculty of Geography
- Dr. Ion Florin Tatui, Researcher, Faculty of Geography
Stockholm University
- Dr. Arjen Stroeven, Professor, Department of Physical Geography
- Dr. Gunhild Rosqvist, Professor, Department of Physical Geography
- Dr. Maricela De la Torre Castro, Professor, Department of Physical Geography
Aix-Marseille Université
- Dr. Francois Sabatier, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Planning and Environment
Paris Lodron University of Salzburg
- Dr. Andreas Lang, Professor, Head of Research Group Geomorphology Department of Environment & Biodiversity
North Eastern Hill University, India
- Prof. Sunil Kumar De, Department of Geography, President