The launch event for CMAP (Coastal Monitoring and Adaptation Planning) was held at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in Belfast on Thursday March 26th 2026. The launch of the flagship €9.6M project supported by PEACEPLUS brought together academic leaders, government representatives, environmental organisations and community stakeholders to mark the beginning of this major cross-border collaboration.

The event also introduced two further PEACEPLUS-supported marine initiatives – ACCLIMATISE and MOSAIC – highlighting a shared commitment to protecting coastal environments through innovation, partnership and community action.

With Climate NI as project partner, the CMAP project forms part of a new wave of coordinated cross-border marine initiatives marking a significant step-change in how coastal protection and climate adaptation are approached across the island of Ireland. The project brings together diverse partners from across the island of Ireland, including the National Trust, Trinity College Dublin, and several border Councils amongst others. Together, the partners to this project will combine scientific expertise, environmental knowledge and community engagement across Ireland and Northern Ireland, to address coastal restoration challenges across the island.

Coastal regions are facing increasing pressures from sea-level rise, stronger storm activity, erosion and biodiversity loss – challenges that demand coordinated, cross-border solutions and new ways of working. CMAP has been created to help communities, policymakers and environmental stakeholders better understand and respond to the growing impacts of climate change on the Irish coast. With climate adaptation now essential for environmental sustainability and long-term regional resilience, the initiative will deliver research, data and on-the-ground activities focused on coastal processes, habitat restoration and citizen science across 15 coastal sites in Counties Sligo, Donegal, Londonderry, Antrim, Down and Louth.

Climate NI is an umbrella body for eNGOs in Northern Ireland. With DAERA as a core funder and comprised of 20+ other governmental and non-governmental bodies, our core aims are to:

• support development and implementation of policy
• engage research communities
• coordinate messaging on climate change issues
• deliver on climate action

Click this link to learn more about the CMAP project, as well as the other PEACEPLUS projects ACCLIMATISE AND MOSAIC.