Meet Ulysse Pasquier: Exploring coastal flooding risks & adaptation strategies.

Rising sea levels and increasing flood risks are some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For Dr. Ulysse Pasquier, tackling these challenges is both a professional mission and a deeply personal one. As a Senior Research Associate at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia, Ulysse brings a wealth of experience in physical geography and environmental sciences to the CoCliCo project, where he investigates coastal risks and adaptation solutions.

A journey through climate science

Originally from France, Ulysse’s academic path has taken him across the globe. He studied in Canada and China before earning his PhD in the UK at the University of East Anglia, where he focused on modeling future compound flooding in coastal regions. His expertise led him to a postdoctoral position at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, where he spent three years researching urban hydrology. Now back at UEA, Ulysse is contributing to CoCliCo, bringing his interdisciplinary perspective to European-wide coastal adaptation research.

Understanding and adapting to coastal hazards

Ulysse’s research is driven by the need to help human systems prepare for climate change impacts, particularly in vulnerable coastal and urban environments. His work spans multiple disciplines—combining flood modeling, adaptation policy, and stakeholder engagement to bridge the gap between science and decision-making.

“Sea levels will continue to rise even if global emissions were to completely stop, so some form of adaptation will be required” he explains. “I hope my work can help decision-makers take timely, well-informed actions on how we manage our use of the coast.”

A personal connection to the coast

For Ulysse, coastal research is more than just an academic pursuit, it’s personal. “Half of my family comes from a small coastal town in the South of France, which has a history of dealing with flooding and a retreating coastline,” he shares. “That likely contributed to my career in this field, but beyond that, I am fascinated by finding solutions to make societies more resilient to change.”

This passion fuels his work in CoCliCo, where he collaborates with experts from across Europe to develop open-access tools that enhance understanding and preparedness for coastal hazards. “While sea level rise is a global issue, its impacts will vary widely by region,” he notes. “CoCliCo’s international perspective allows us to explore different adaptation approaches and share valuable insights.”

---

---

Beyond research:

Outside of his research, Ulysse enjoys long-distance running and football. He also occasionally blogs about societal issues and cinema, combining his analytical mindset with a broader cultural perspective.

Interested in learning more about Ulysse’s research? Explore his publications and insights on coastal adaptation strategies:

• A comparative assessment of accommodation strategies based on elevated buildings for coastal adaptation
• “We can’t do it on our own!”- Integrating stakeholder and scientific knowledge of future flood risk to inform climate change adaptation planning in a coastal region
• An integrated 1D–2D hydraulic modeling approach to assess the sensitivity of a coastal region to compound flooding hazard under climate change

Follow Ulysse’s work here.