There is an emerging crisis in Australia, arising from the increasing concentration of economic and population centres in coastal areas. With climate change, sea levels are rising and coastal places are increasingly subject to flooding and inundation. Coastal flooding damages ecosystems and infrastructure, with flow-on effects to the economy, and impacts on the health, wellbeing and livelihoods of coastal residents.

Solutions to climate change impacts in the coastal zone require solutions-focused science that co-produces knowledge, technologies and practices in conjunction with relevant stakeholders to inspire and enable local communities to act in ways that support their values and long-term goals.

Drawing on expertise from across the University of Melbourne and from partner institutions, the National Centre for Coasts and Climate is engaging with key stakeholders to identify important problems related to climate change impacts in the coastal zone to undertake interdisciplinary research that provides practical solutions to these challenges.

The NCCC has six key research themes: