Climate Change: Impacts, Costs and Adaptation in the Baltic Sea Region

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Climate change was recognized not only in terms of mitigation but also because of the need of adaptation as a major challenge that cannot be solved solely by single actors and territorial restricted actions, but asks for a coordination and support at a higher level. This is highlighted by the EU Green Paper on Adaptation to Climate Change, but also by other documents such as the EC Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment or the recent Evaluation of ICZM on Europe by the Commission. BaltCICA is designed to focus on the most imminent problems that climate change will cause in the Baltic Sea Region. The concentration of large parts of the population and many larger cities in the coastal areas of the Baltic Sea Region make these areas especially sensitive to climate change. Changes in the occurrence of floods (river floods as well as storm surges) and sea level rise caused by climate change as well as impacts on water availability and quality can be expected to become imminent. Not only the assessment of the impacts, but also the development, appraisal and implementation of adaptation measures (structural ones as well as organisational and institutional measures) has to be promoted. To achieve these goals a multi-level trans-national approach will be applied. Concrete adaptation measures are going to be tested and implemented in at least one case study and later on transferred and tested in other case studies dealing with similar adaptation questions. On a pan-Baltic level the costs of higher sea level and increased flood risk will be assessed. A concept for process management on climate change adaptation and mitigation will be developed supported by a metaevaluation and conceptualization of case study results. Furthermore joint concepts of adaptation will be applied in a number of case studies. Based on the experience and knowledge of the project participants, applicable approaches will be offered to other interested parties with the support of the Union of the Baltic Cities.

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