Modeling Coastal Flood Impacts at Scale: Spotlight on Camila Cotrim.

How can we better predict the impact of coastal flooding across diverse shorelines? That question drives the research of Camila Cotrim, a pre-doctoral researcher at IHCantabria and PhD candidate in Coastal Engineering at the University of Cantabria.

As part of the CoCliCo project, she is working to develop a large-scale framework for assessing coastal flood impacts from extreme events, across varied geographies while remaining sensitive to local characteristics.

“After completing a master’s thesis focused on large-scale and offshore physical oceanography, I felt motivated to bring my studies to the coast,” Camila shares. “I wanted to better understand how marine dynamics impact different shores and their communities.”

Originally from Brazil, Camila holds a bachelor’s degree in Oceanography from the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro and a master’s in Marine and Coastal Systems from the University of Algarve in Portugal. Her transition from offshore to coastal systems reflects a desire to make science more actionable for real-world decision-making.

A flexible framework for flood risk assessment

Camila’s research is focused on creating a homogeneous methodology for evaluating coastal flood impacts while accounting for the heterogeneity of each study area. By classifying storms according to local features, her framework aims to improve large-scale projections of coastal hazards and impacts. This, in turn, helps identify “hotspots” that require more detailed analysis using high-resolution data on exposure and vulnerability.

The ultimate goal is to equip researchers and policymakers with a tool that can be applied in different regions, especially those with limited resources or data availability.

Learning through collaboration

For Camila, one of the highlights of being part of CoCliCo is the opportunity to work within an international and interdisciplinary research environment. She values the space given to early career researchers to both learn from senior scientists and contribute their own ideas.

“The exchange of ideas and knowledge is constant,” she explains. “You end up learning more than just science but also project management and how people collaborate and show respect in high-level discussions.”

Relevance beyond Europe

Camila sees significant potential for her research beyond the European context. Having grown up in Brazil, where data availability can be limited and coastlines are vast, she believes adaptable tools like the one she’s developing are especially valuable. Her framework is designed to be flexible and transferable, making it useful for other regions preparing for extreme floods or chronic sea level rise.

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Outside the lab

Away from her research, Camila enjoys hiking and surfing, and when indoors, she finds joy in baking and reading.

Want to connect with Camila?
Find her on LinkedIn.