Transnational Projects From North Sea Region

The storm tides in the North Sea might be another 1.1 metres higher than today by the end of this century due to the climate change. This is the scenario that the Institute for Coastal Research at the research centre GKSS Forschungszentrum Geesthacht presents in its latest report on the current state of research. In order to also be protected against damage caused by storm tides in the future, federal states such as Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony invest tens of millions to protect their coasts every year.

According to Dr. Ralf Weisse from the Institute for Coastal Research at the GKSS, the situation will get worse on the North Sea coast in the medium term. He thinks the current coastal protection on the North Sea coast will remain nearly as effective as it is today until 2030. However, it is possible that we have to react by the end of the century, since the storm tides might be three to eleven decimetres higher than today.

The affected federal states are already preparing intensely now for the potential threat. For instance, Schleswig-Holstein wants to invest nearly 300 million euros in the protection of its 1200 kilometres of coastline on the North and Baltic Seas until 2025, from which 142 million euros alone will go into the extension of the dikes. For the first time, Lower Saxony will be providing more than 73 million euros for the protection of around 600 kilometres of coast this year. With 50 million euros, the largest part will go to the main dike associations. Both states have determined an additional "climate supplement" of up to 50 centimetres for extending and raising the dikes.

Aside the wind climate and the tides, the rising sea level also has an impact on the height of the storm tides. Dr. Weisse will be speaking about the development of the sea level at the international conference of the acqua alta. Since the causes for changes of these factors have been researched to very different extents, the GKSS initiated the COSYNA project (Coastal Observation System for Northern and Arctic Seas). The project among other things observes the physical, ecological and biogeochemical condition of the North Sea. Dr. Weisse explains: "The COSYNA project is intended to scientifically analyse current processes and interdependencies of the German North Sea. In this way, we want to find out how long-term factors such as current, heavy sea, temperature and salt content of the sea change in order to be able to draw the corresponding conclusions from the findings. The data can be used to draw up maps, develop simulation models as well as model-supported scenarios and forecasts."

The Interreg North Sea Programme, which has been supporting cooperative projects between the seven adjacent states in the North Sea region - from England and Holland up to Norway - for ten years, has a transnational approach. In the new funding period from 2007 to 2013, there also are a number of projects dealing with coastal protection and flood management in the North Sea from a transnational perspective.

The acqua alta, International Conference and Exhibition on the Consequences of Climate Change and Flood Protection, brings together the keynote issues of climate consequences, flood protection, disaster management and water management, and gives all the participating organisations, research institutes, local community associations and industries a platform for technical exchange and the development of joint strategies to deal with this global community task.