Grants of DKK 43 million to make the Danish/German border region more climate resilient
The EU's Interreg program has granted support for two projects led by SDU Climate Cluster, aiming to strengthen collaborative climate efforts in the region.
Climate change does not respect national borders, and with future climate extremes in mind, there is a growing need for increased cooperation and coordination of climate mitigation efforts on both sides of the Danish/German border.
SDU Climate Cluster has been granted DKK 43 million from the EU InterReg program for this work. The grants are for these two projects:
ClimatePol
This project will focus on the stakeholders who decide and implement the climate adaptation solutions.
- The political and behavioral perspective is crucial to promote and expedite the implementation of climate adaptation initiatives in the border region," says Professor Sebastian Mernild, head of SDU Climate Cluster.
The project will map how the climate has changed (1850-present) and is likely to change (now-2100). It will also identify the regional institutional drivers and barriers for addressing climate change and adaptation in the border region.
Along the way, the project will develop a series of microclimate initiatives within areas such as managing rainwater and flooding of coastal and residential areas in selected Danish and German municipalities, examining the regional socio-economic consequences of these initiatives.
Also, the project will develop recommendations for local, regional, and national decision-makers, including politicians, representatives from public institutions, business leaders, and others. This will take the form of a handbook, a toolkit and the establishment of a cross-border climate alliance etc.
- We believe this will strengthen political awareness," says Sebastian Mernild.
Poseidon
Also today, there are challenges related to the lack of warning systems, digital solutions, well-functioning climate adaptation measures and emergency preparedness for rising water levels.
The project will contribute to protecting citizens, infrastructure and buildings from water-related climate changes, including the risk of floods, droughts and rising water levels.
The goal of the Poseidon project is to develop and test practical climate adaptation solutions across the border and share knowledge in a cross-border water network. Solutions will be developed through practical innovation collaborations and tested at pilot sites.
Based on an assessment of the innovation needs in the program region, solutions related to municipal climate adaptation plans and strategies will be developed and tested.
Poseidon focuses on creating an attractive and trustworthy offering of well-functioning nature-based/technical climate adaptation solutions that can encourage and inspire decision makers to expedite the implementation of climate adaptation initiatives.
Both Denmark and Germany will benefit from better documentation of climate adaptation concepts as well as the use of artificial intelligence and hydraulic models.