Prof. Benjamin Horton’s Asia Sea-Level Knowledge Hub Endorsed as UN Ocean Decade Action

The School of Energy and Environment (SEE) at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) is pleased to announce that Dean Prof. Benjamin Horton has received formal endorsement from the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO for his project “The Asia Sea-Level Knowledge Hub (ASK-Hub).”

This endorsement officially recognizes the ASK-Hub as a Decade Action under the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030), a global initiative aimed at generating transformative ocean science solutions to support sustainable development worldwide. The endorsed project will run from 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2029, providing a three-year framework for advancing regional collaboration and innovation in sea-level research.

Hosted at CityUHK, the ASK-Hub will serve as a regional center of excellence to address the urgent and escalating compound risks associated with sea-level rise across Asia. Leveraging interdisciplinary expertise, the Hub will integrate cutting-edge research, regional monitoring, and policy engagement to support evidence-based decision-making.

The ASK-Hub will foster collaboration among scientists, governments, and communities to co-develop adaptive strategies that enhance coastal resilience. With Asia’s densely populated and economically vital coastlines at risk, the Hub will provide critical leadership, capacity building, and innovation to help the region respond to climate-driven sea-level challenges.

Endorsed under the UN Ocean Decade Programme “CoastPredict – Observing and Predicting the Global Coastal Ocean,” the project directly contributes to the Ocean Decade Challenge of building a sustainable ocean economy.

SEE warmly congratulates Prof. Horton and his team on this significant achievement, which further strengthens the School’s international visibility and leadership in ocean, climate, and sustainability research.