Engineering thriving Island Communities

Connecting people, protecting coastlines and enabling sustainable development

Ian Mockett, Director of Ports, Coasts and Waterfronts for COWI will present how engineering can support small island communities.

From small island settlements to larger island economies, engineering can support much more than coastal protection: it can help communities stay connected, sustain essential services and shape places where people want to live, work and visit. It can also enable communities to live more sustainably, using resources responsibly while reducing environmental impacts. This presentation explores how marine infrastructure and climate adaptation can contribute to those wider ambitions and help communities respond to the growing challenges of a changing climate.

Drawing on some of COWI’s recent projects at Hurst Castle, Inis Oírr, Dragør and Lynetteholm, it examines how engineering can safeguard heritage, strengthen maritime lifelines, enhance waterfronts and support long-term investment. The focus is on transferable principles rather than one-size-fits-all solutions, recognising that each community has different needs, resources and aspirations.

At its heart is a practical question: how can engineering help island communities, both large and small, thrive in a changing world? The session considers an approach that starts with community priorities, builds a sound evidence base and connects long-term ambition with deliverable, adaptable infrastructure—supporting a more sustainable way of living while strengthening resilience to sea-level rise, coastal change and more frequent extreme weather.