The main objectives of the course were to:

1. Improve knowledge of climate change and how climate change impacts could be minimised through effective planning; and improve knowledge on the importance of coastal natural assets for improving the adaptive capacity and resilience of cities allocated along the coast;
2. Provide an overview of successful methodologies on how to develop climate change adaptation plans (CCAPs);
3. Support each city through the process of designing content to inform the development of their own skeleton CCAPs which specifically includes a coastal focus;
4. Transfer knowledge and skills to capacitate participating stakeholders throughout the course to not only train their fellow city stakeholders but facilitate and lead a course with their own city stakeholders to finalise their skeleton CCAP; and lastly:
5. Provide the space throughout the course for discussion, reflection and learning; and facilitate vertical and horizontal dialogues around coastal adaptation and resilience to build effective partnerships for future collaboration.