Nordic region investigates Nature Based Solutions to adapt to climate change

21 October 2019 - Published by Eric Boessenkool

Climate change is likely one of the most challenging issues for the world in the near and distant future. As addressed by the IPCC SROCC report in September 2019 the world is very likely to face a meter to several meters of sea level rise in the coming century to centuries. The rising sea levels combined with possibly stronger and more frequent storms will affect coastal communities. Not only in low-lying countries such as the Netherlands, but also in the Nordic region, where important communities are already at risk. These risks are likely to increase. Nature Based Solutions could be a way to reduce these risks.

Sweden and Denmark are both investigating ways how to adapt to sea level rise. Worldwide there is a growing interest in using Nature Based Solutions to adapt countries and communities to the effects of our changing climate. The same goes for Sweden. That is why the annual coastal meeting of the Swedish Geotechnical Institute together with Länsstyrelsen Skåne chose Nature Based Solutions as their theme for the 2019 meeting.

Using nature as a partner in flood defense, instead of working against nature, has long been part of the Dutch Flood Risk management strategy. This started centuries ago by trapping sand and building dunes. Since nearly 30 years the Netherlands uses sand nourishments as their main component to tackle the naturally eroding coastline. That is why the Royal Dutch Embassy sponsored Quirijn Lodder of Rijkswaterstaat to give a keynote at the Kustmöte on using Nature Based Solutions in the Netherlands. Quirijn showed a comprehensive overview of the Dutch approach while introducing Dutch research institute Deltares and the industry joint not for profit organization Ecoshape to the audience. The meeting was joined as part of the Building with Nature project.

Keynote Quirijn Lodder at the Kustmöte

Decision Making in Dutch Coastal Research Based on Coastal Management Policy Assumptions (paper)

Movie Dutch coastal nourishments

IPCC SROCC report

Photo by Jon Flobrant on Unsplash