World Monuments Fund receives new grant for next phase of Coastal Connections programme

World Monuments Fund (WMF) has announced the launch of the second phase of Coastal Connections, following its success in securing a grant of £509,300 from Lloyd’s Register Foundation. Established in 2023 as a joint initiative with English Heritage, Coastal Connections is a global network of coastal heritage sites for sharing knowledge and practical solutions to address the impact of climate change and other challenges. The grant will enable Coastal Connections to expand its networks by establishing up to six training hubs across multiple regions, including the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and beyond, bringing together heritage site managers, communities and policy-makers in each region.

The inclusion of Hurst Castle on the 2022 World Monuments Watch led to the creation of the Coastal Connections network. Since then, WMF has been developing resources for coastal heritage site managers by drawing on the challenges and solutions of real-world case studies. A series of workshops, each featuring a panel of experts engaged with over 700 people from 81 countries, and today, the network includes over 60 sites – from historic forts to lighthouses.

WMF applied for funding from Lloyd’s Register Foundation’s ‘Engineering a Safer World’ open call, to enable the expansion of the program to incorporate regions where coastal and maritime heritage is most at risk. The Foundation sought applications for projects in support of its safety mission, including those that would mobilise maritime heritage as a driver for change, and build partnerships and skills in local communities.

Alex Stitt, Director of the Heritage Centre at Lloyd's Register Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the next phase of Coastal Connections. The programme is an excellent fit with many aspects of our strategy, including our drive to become more locally-led as we harness heritage and develop skills to make communities around the world safer and more resilient. We look forward to deepening our partnership with World Monuments Fund to this end.”

In this next phase, locally-led workshops will bring together site managers, communities and policy-makers within each region to share knowledge and skills for making coastal heritage safer, more resilient and more sustainable. These will also identify innovative local solutions – such as mangrove reforestation and coral reef restoration to slow erosion – and showcase them more broadly within the wider global network. The funding will also support the development of free and accessible online resources to help those who manage coastal heritage to address the complex challenges they face.

“Coastal Connections is responding to local need to share knowledge, expertise and practical solutions amongst those who care for coastal heritage around the globe, ensuring that they do not have to face these complex challenges alone”, said Program Director, Dr. Alex Kent. “Ultimately, the program aims to build a legacy of wisdom for conserving these special places, making them safer and more resilient for the future.”

Climate adaptation remains one of WMF’s global priorities, and in 2024, the organisation launched its Climate Heritage Initiative to redouble its commitment to using heritage preservation as a climate solution. Coastal Connections is one of four main categories identified by WMF’s field partners as areas of greatest need, the others being Cultivating Resilience, Greener Glasshouses and Traditional Water Systems. Collectively, these efforts embody the principle that the past has important lessons to teach us about living with change, reviving resilience, dealing with loss, and informed innovation.

Further anchoring Coastal Connections’ status as a meeting ground between Britain and the rest of the world, the network will be showcased at COP30 through a short reel submitted to the UK Pavilion. The reel will be displayed throughout COP alongside videos from other UK institutions.