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Coastal Areas Must Adapt to Climate Change

Published 28. January, 2026

Partners of the nationwide project LIFE4ADAPT – Slovenia’s Strategic Integrated LIFE Project for Adaptation, who are involved in activities aimed at strengthening the resilience of coastal protected areas, gathered on Tuesday, 27 January 2026, at the Centre for Humanities of ZRS Koper.

This is a comprehensive project that promotes adaptation to climate change and is led by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy (MOPE). As part of the project, 14 pilot measures will be implemented in the fields of agriculture, forestry, nature conservation, health, water management, and the economy. Their results will serve as examples of good practice for further dissemination across Slovenia. Pilot measures carried out within protected natural areas are coordinated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning (MNVP).

At the meeting of partners and local experts who are directly or indirectly involved in activities to strengthen the resilience of coastal protected natural areas, Dr Liliana Vižintin from the Mediterranean Institute for Environmental Studies — the project coordinator at ZRS Koper — presented the project and awareness‑raising activities on the importance of adapting coastal areas. Meanwhile, the Director of Strunjan Landscape Park, Marko Starman, and his colleague Petra Škrinjar provided a detailed overview of the planned measures in Strunjan Landscape Park for the next seven years of the project.

Key activities include:

  • greening the parking area and redesigning it into a “park‑style parking lot”,
  • restoration of the damaged section of the embankment in the Stjuža marine lagoon,
  • implementation of essential anti‑erosion and drainage measures along the path to Moon Bay or the Bay of the Cross.

The meeting was attended by representatives of local communities, expert institutions in the fields of nature conservation and cultural heritage, as well as the regional development agency. ZRS Koper will participate primarily in knowledge transfer, awareness‑raising, and educational activities (preparation of a guidelines manual for replicating measures, a video, organisation of events, and preparation of media contributions). Other institutions will also contribute to the implementation of activities: the Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia (SOS) — in knowledge transfer to public administration and local decision‑makers; the National Institute of Biology (NIB) — in supporting the evaluation of measures; and the Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO) — in providing climate data.

The LIFE4ADAPT project (101147797) has received funding from the European Union under the programme for environment, climate action, and nature. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the grant provider are responsible for the content.