The Wadden Sea is recognised internationally as an exemplar of transboundary cooperation in nature conservation. The World Heritage Site designation has been awarded to the Wadden Sea in recognition of its outstanding universal values. These unique qualities make the Wadden Sea stand out on a global scale and occupy a special place in the hearts and minds of countless visitors and residents.Yet, the outstanding universal values continue to be at risk due to the impacts of human activities on land and at sea. The Wadden Sea is flanked by a coastline that has been massively transformed through coastal defence, land drainage and reclamation, industrial agriculture, harbour activity and mass tourism. On the seaside, the Wadden Sea transitions seamlessly into the North Sea, one of the most intensively used and heavily impacted sea spaces in the world. In order to safeguard the integrity of the Wadden Sea and secure good environmental status for the North Sea as a whole, we will, of necessity, see increased emphasis on nature restoration in the coming years and decades.

In this seminar, we will examine how the conservation of the Wadden Sea ecosystem can be supported and complemented by the social-ecological transformation of the wider coastal region. In the first half of the seminar, participating students will progress their understanding of current practices in both nature conservation and coastal protection at the Wadden Sea coast. In the second half of the seminar, participating students will work in groups to develop a joint future vision and strategy for the Wadden Sea and its coastal hinterland.