Coastal Flood Management Course
This course prepares you to understand and manage coastal flooding before, during and after it happens. You will study its causes, such as storm surges, waves and their combination with heavy rainfall, the preparation of hazard and risk maps, early warning systems, emergency planning and protection and recovery measures, so that you can help reduce damage and protect exposed populations.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Coastal Flood Management Course?
This short course prepares you to reduce the impact of coastal flooding on people and places. You will learn how astronomical tides, storm surges, waves and overtopping combine with rainfall and river flows, and how sea level rise changes the picture, how hazard, exposure and vulnerability are assessed using return periods, data sources and models, how sea level and wave forecasts feed operational services, warning thresholds and alert communication chains, how municipal emergency plans, evacuation routes, inter-agency coordination and support for vulnerable people are organized, and how structural, nature-based and land-use measures, insurance and recovery reduce risk over time.
What sets this course apart: coverage of the full cycle of prevention, preparedness, response and recovery; applied tools such as risk maps, warning systems and emergency plans; a climate perspective on how risk changes as sea levels rise; a practical view built on lessons from documented coastal flood events; and a practical case in which you draw up a risk management plan for a coastal municipality.
Program highlights
- Full cycle: prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
- Applied tools: risk maps, warning systems and emergency plans.
- Climate perspective: how risk changes as sea levels rise.
- Early warning: forecasting, thresholds and the alert communication chain.
- Practical view: lessons from documented coastal flood events.
- Practical case: a risk management plan for a coastal municipality.
Syllabus of the Coastal Flood Management Course
5 modules. Select a module to see its content.
The coastal flooding phenomenon
- 1.1. Astronomical tides and storm surges
- 1.2. Waves and overtopping
- 1.3. Compound flooding with rainfall and rivers
- 1.4. Tsunamis as a special case
- 1.5. Effect of sea level rise
Risk assessment
- 2.1. Hazard, exposure and vulnerability
- 2.2. Return periods and probability
- 2.3. Hazard and risk maps
- 2.4. Data sources and models
- 2.5. Exposed critical infrastructure
Forecasting and early warning
- 3.1. Sea level and wave forecasting
- 3.2. Operational forecasting services
- 3.3. Warning thresholds
- 3.4. Alert communication chain
- 3.5. Public risk perception
Emergency planning
- 4.1. Municipal emergency plans
- 4.2. Evacuation routes and assembly points
- 4.3. Coordination between services
- 4.4. Vulnerable population
- 4.5. Communication during the emergency
Risk reduction and recovery
- 5.1. Structural and nature-based measures
- 5.2. Land-use planning in flood-prone areas
- 5.3. Insurance and compensation for damage
- 5.4. Recovery and lessons learned
- 5.5. Practical case: risk management plan for a coastal municipality
Duration and format of the Coastal Flood Management Course
It is 300 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Coastal Flood Management Course
Career opportunities after the Coastal Flood Management Course
Questions about the Coastal Flood Management Course
The rise in sea level caused by wind and low atmospheric pressure during a storm, which adds to the astronomical tide.
No. The course teaches you to interpret maps and model outputs, not to develop models.
No. It complements the training of emergency services, but it does not replace official qualifications or authorizations.
Yes. The course analyses how sea level rise alters the frequency and intensity of flooding.
You draw up a flood risk management plan for a coastal municipality, covering risk, warning, response and measures.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7, with live sessions that are recorded and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The course comprises 300 hours of study across 5 modules of about 60 hours each and ends with an applied practical case. You can progress at your own pace within the schedule set when you enroll.
More programs in Climate and oceanography
Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at civil protection and emergency officers working in coastal municipalities, urban planning and environmental technicians who plan flood-prone areas, engineers and consultants who carry out risk studies, port and infrastructure professionals who manage exposed facilities and graduates in earth or marine sciences interested in coastal risk; studies in engineering, marine sciences, geography, environmental sciences, geology or a related field, or professional experience in emergencies or planning, are recommended.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and a camera for live sessions and project presentations.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.