In light of projected climate change impacts in the Baltic Sea region, there is a strong need for enhanced understanding about adaptation needs. In this regard, the role of local level decision makers will be crucial to the success of such adaptation strategies. This primer aims to provide local decision makers with insights and knowledge on the subject. This primer has been prepared as part of the project RADOST (Regional Adaptation Strategies for the
German Baltic Sea Coast), which is funded by the
German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
As a gateway between ground and sea transportation, and as
a business location for service and industry, ports are of great significance for the regional and national economy. At the same time, port structures are located in regions threatened by storms and rising sea levels. Due to highly interdependent value chains,weather related disruptions in port operation can cause serious economic damage. Thus, adaptation to possible climate impacts seems like an obvious task for port authorities. The article analyses the climate vulnerability of German Baltic port locations.
This work deal with a comparison between the common
"bathtub method" and a state-of-the-art hydrodynamic model, called MIKE21 HD Flow Model, for modelling storm surges. The aim of this study is to work out the differences between both approaches and to find out how probable differences look like. There is the question if the "bathtub method" represents flooding adequate or, if the consideration of physics by hydrodynamic models makes a major difference and displays maybe the "real" risk of
inundations. This work tries to underline the differences between those two approaches, where the strengths and weaknesses are and what influence those differences have for an inundation analysis. The investigation was made on a digital elevation model for the study area of Kiel, the capital city of the state Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. The two approaches were made on data for a small storm surge on the basis of water-level-change and wind-regime data from 2010.
Adaptation to climate change requires the implementation of new and revision of existing policies in order to change collective behaviour in a way that reduces vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. At the same time, the efficiency of environmental governance has been questioned due to perceived deficiencies in implementation in the past. As a consequence, it is observed that high levels of adaptive capacity are often not used for adaptive action, and therefore communities remain vulnerable. This thesis is looking at the socio-cognitive dimension of adaptation from the perspective of socio-cultural construction of values and practices that influence risk perceptions and behavioural intentions in coastal management and adaptation to climate variability and change. The construction of values and practices is analysed through discursive fields on the respective topics in local media from three states on the US mid-Atlantic coast.
Over the last decades, Fucus vesiculosus, an ecologically important macroalga in the German Baltic Sea, has shown a massive retreat from the deeper zones of its former distribution presumably due to low light co-acting with other potential stressors such as high temperature, fouling, and grazing. Global warming may increase abiotic as well as biotic pressures and exacerbate environmental conditions in coastal ecosystems. The present study focussed on the effects of single or subsequently combined stressors on survival and palatability of juvenile F. vesiculosus. Fucoid offspring were exposed to high temperature and/ or feeding pressure. Feeding preference of Idotea baltica was quantified in a pellet assay calculated as an odds ratio. High temperature significantly impaired the survival of juvenile fucoids. Neither single nor combined stress considerably influenced the feeding preference of I. baltica. Surprisingly I. baltica strictly avoided pellets with juvenile F. vesiculosus compared to adult F. vesiculosus. Avoidance tended to be less pronounced in juvenile fucoids previously stressed by high temperature. Obviously grazing does not induce anti-herbivore defence, but rather the young plants appeared constitutively well-protected against isopod feeding. These results contradict the prevailing opinion that juvenile F. vesiculosus is more susceptible to herbivore grazing than adult F. vesiculosus.
Information about possible changes of extreme wave heights are essential for the future safe design of coastal and flood protection structures likes dykes, flood protection dunes, revetments etc. In this study, scenarios of regional climate change up to 2100 are used for the evaluation of changes of wave conditions. Analyses on calculated significant wave heights derived from extreme value statistics are showing a different signal of change for the selected locations along the German Baltic Sea Coast. The results are showing that extreme wave heights with a return level of 200 years can increase up to +14%. But also a decrease of down to -14% were found compared to actual conditions, depending on the location and climate change scenario applied. At the location of Warnemünde a slight increasing trend for the change of extreme wave heights could be found for 3 of 4 scenario runs with a maximum increase of +7%.
Content:
Climate Change at the Baltic Sea Coast – The RADOST Project;
RADOST Annual Conference 2010;
Regional Activities:
Extractive Polyculture in the Kiel Fjord;
Kick-off meeting – RADOST focus network “Conservation and Land Use”;
Baltic Tourism Network for Climate Change Adaption is launched;
Kick-off for RADOST pilot projects for drainage management;
Geographic Information System (GIS) for RADOST online;
Stakeholder and institutional analysis in RADOST;
International Activities:
RADOST Side Event in Copenhagen;
Transatlantic Media Dialogue regarding;
Climate Policy in Europe and the US;
BaltCICA: 1st International Conference;
Dinner Dialogue;
Publications
Content:
Regional Activities:
Already adapted?
German coastal associations tackle climate change;
The IMK in RADOST;
Action Day in Rostock;
Climate Alliance Kiel Bay is launched;
First annual RADOST conference;
An Introduction to the RADOST advisory board;
Climate change on the German Baltic Sea coast;
International Activities:
Dinner Dialogue on America’s Climate Choices;
Global Oceans Conference 2010;
Publications