Jean-Marc Beynet

The lectures presented by Jean-Marc BEYNET primarily focus on islands he knows well after working for more than 40 years as a consulting engineer on the coastlines and ports of islands in the Caribbean (the Lesser Antilles arc), in the Indian Ocean (Sri Lanka, Maldives, Seychelles, Madagascar, Réunion, Mauritius), and also in the Pacific (French Polynesia).

His lectures are structured in three parts:

• The birth of islands as explained by Earth sciences (plate tectonics and volcanism).
• The history of settlement and, at times, colonization, present-day life on islands, respect for the environment, island proverbs, and more…
• The future of coastlines and port cities, considering contemporary global warming, which accelerates sea-level rise and affects coral reefs through ocean acidification.

He always concludes his lecture series on a positive note, presenting pathways for mitigation and adaptation solutions for future generations.

Jean-Marc BEYNET is a maritime development consultant, an expert evaluator for the European Commission, an expert for the AIVP (International Association of Cities and Ports), and a webinar speaker for the IIPC (International Institute of Ports & Cities). An engineer and PhD in soil mechanics, he is a member of the French Maritime Institute and a corresponding member of the Academy of Nîmes. He has published numerous scientific articles and around ten books for a general audience.

Photo credit: Studio Ponant

 

Languages spoken: French, English