DFI’s 51st Annual Conference on Sea Level Impacts: Navigating Challenges Together
Hawthorne, N.J. : DFI is hosting its 51st Annual Conference (DFI51), November 2–5, 2026, in Orlando, Florida. The theme of this international conference is “Sea Level Impacts: Navigating Challenges Together,” focusing on the multifaceted challenges and profound global implications of sea level rise. This year’s event expects to draw more than 1,500 professionals from geotechnical engineering and construction, policy, finance, insurance, flood management and beyond.
“DFI51 is bringing together leading experts from around the world—across disciplines, industries and organizations—to share knowledge, forge connections and deepen our collective understanding of sea level impacts,” says Theresa Engler, DFI executive director. “Attendees will explore cutting-edge research, emerging technologies and sustainable practices aimed at protecting coastal communities, critical infrastructure, economies and ecosystems—now and for generations to come.”
The technical program explores advancements in industry practices, techniques and project delivery through perspectives, case histories and research-based papers and presentations.
“The depth and diversity of the technical program at DFI51 reflects the growing importance of deep foundations and geotechnical engineering in maritime and coastal development,” says Ignazio Paolo Marzano, Ph.D., P.E., consultant and collaborator at Sapienza University of Rome, and DFI51 program co-chair. “By bringing together leading experts from academia, industry and government, the conference will provide an essential platform for exchanging knowledge and supporting better decisions in managing, planning and designing critical infrastructure.”
Program highlights include a keynote address by Major General Jason E. Kelly, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
and presentations and panel discussions on the following topics:
- Safeguarding interventions for Venice – Venice Lagoon
- Florida coastal planning, policy and construction
- San Francisco Bay area waterfront resilience – from funding to design
- Northeastern United States megaprojects
- Greening the foundation of future coasts
- International storm surge barriers construction and performance in Italy, the Mediterranean Coast, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States
- Risk related to insurance, policy and financing for coastal solutions
According to scientific consensus found in reports from bodies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and data from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), sea levels are rising faster than historical averages, and the pace is accelerating. The need for practical, near-term solutions has never been greater.
“Sea level rise isn’t just an engineering challenge — it’s a groundwater problem, a materials problem, a planning problem and ultimately a community problem,” notes Ashley Loyola, P.E., Florida International University, and DFI51 Organizing Committee member. “Conferences like DFI51 are critical because they bring together disciplines that don’t traditionally sit at the same table but absolutely need to if we’re going to develop solutions that truly work in the real world.”
