BALTCICA

The BaltCICA Project is designed to focus on the most imminent problems that climate change is likely to cause in the Baltic Sea Region. The concentration of large parts of the population and many larger cities in coastal areas make the region especially sensitive to climate change. Changes in precipitation and flood patterns as well as rising sea level can affect not only the built environment but also water availability and quality.

Adaptation to climate change cannot be solved solely locally and in isolated attempts, but calls for cooperation and integrated approaches in the Baltic Sea Region. The BaltCICA project with local and regional partners prepares regions and municipalities to cope with a changing climate.

The BaltCICA project uses climate change scenarios to discuss and develop adaptation measures with relevant planning authorities and stakeholders. The scenario are based on the results of the COSMO-CLM model. The project assesses costs and benefits of adaptation in case studies and on a pan-Baltic level. Case studies results support multi-level and transnational approaches in the Baltic Sea Region

BaltCICA has identified adaptation measures and implemented them in the Baltic Sea Region. This was achieved by producing new knowledge relating to climate change impacts, costs and benefits and governance of adaptation; reducing uncertainty in decision-making in relation to adaptation by strengthening the science-practice link and by increasing participation of stakeholders and citizens in adaptation related decision-making. New scientific methodologies to increase the participation of stakeholders in adaptation planning were developed and employed. The 13 case studies concentrated on cross-border cooperation and developed adaptation measures on specific thematic areas, such as metropolitan planning and adaptation strategies, groundwater and climate change, the Environment as well as scenario development and citizen participation.