Implementing EVOKED at case study sites
In order to overcome the generic barriers of climate adaptation at the global scale, EVOKED will be initiated at local and regional case study sites in Norway, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands (see figure above).
Here, specific challenges will be addressed on the vulnerable sectors of water management, disaster risk reduction and coastal management. The EVOKED project team is already participating in studies at these case study sites and therefore these preliminary studies will provide a point of departure for the EVOKED methodology as illustrated below.
As such the case study sites will be integral part of EVOKED, incorporated in each of the four main activities (see Table 3-6 for work package details). A brief description of the case study sites is provided below including a summary of existing knowledge and existing barriers.
The EVOKED case study sites are the city of Larvik, Norway and the city of Flensburg, Germany and three regional case study sites including Värmland, Sweden and Nord Brabant and Overissel in the Netherlands. See short descriptions of these case study sites below.
Larvik, Norway
All Norwegian municipalities have the obligation to map potential impacts of climate change in the framework of an overall risk and vulnerability assessment. To support the work of the municipalities with climate change adaptation, NGI has conducted a pilot study in Larvik-Lardal, assessing potential impacts and consequences of natural hazards in a changing climate.
The expected increase of extreme precipitation leads to an increase of intensity and frequency of urban flooding, erosion, quick clay slides, rock slides, and river flooding. An increasing storm activity in Skagerrak in combination with a rising sea level will increase the magnitude and frequency of storm surges, coastal flooding, and erosion in Larvik. Hazard and risk maps for Larvik-Lardal were developed in combination with the suggested local adaptation and mitigation measures.
Within EVOKED, the knowledge needs and the perception of risk and uncertainty in Larvik municipality will be further explored to improve the visualization of climate data for not only the local authorities, but aslo the community of Larvik.
Värmland, Sweden
Värmland County Administrative Board (VCAB) has a central role in climate adaption and crisis management in the county. VCAB holds the Regional Climate Adaption Plan and play an active part in the Union Flood Directive.
Värmland is exposed to water (the rivers, the lake Vänern, the city of Karlstad situated on a delta) and has experienced several floods and landslides. VCAB is currently coordinating the regional efforts to adapt society to a changing climate.
In the Regional Climate Adaption Plan, most of the actions are related to communication and dissemination. Increasing knowledge about climate change and its consequences is
an imported step to prevent future problems.
A main focus for VCAB is finding ways to communicate the integrated risks associated with a changing climate and within EVOKED VCAB together with SGI (and NGI) will focus on developing different kinds of “flooding walks”, a guided tour on the topics of flooding using digital solutions, in different environments in the county of Värmland. In the living lab, VCAB and SGI will bring together different experts in order to make different target groups in Värmland aware of climate change, climate adaption and risk assessment.
Province of North Brabant, the Netherlands
Generally, climate adaptation in the Netherlands is associated with rising sea levels and flooding. Regionally, however, water scarcity and drought can also have significant impact, especially concerning freshwater supply for agriculture and nature.
Drought is expected to be a problem in particular for the sandy soil areas in the south and the east of the Netherlands. However, this does not mean that flooding is not (simultaneously) an issue in these areas. Extreme rainfall and flooding in certain periods are expected to og hand in hand with drought in other periods. This effects both rural and urban areas. A recent case happened during the summer of 2016, when rainfall and brimestones caused over more than 20 million euro’s in damage.
To face the challenges of climate change, the province of North Brabant is cooperating with regional stakeholders in a joint adaptation agenda. On a regional level there is no lack of information and data. However, access and applicability of this knowledge is limited. Therefore, the province is currently building a climate knowledge portal. This portal will be the main toolkit for providing instruments, knowledge and best practices on climate change adaptation for all parties in the region.
Based on stakeholder sessions on next steps in climate change adaptation, the following knowledge gaps were identified: How can we keep climate adaptation on the long term (political) agenda? How do we Connect short term actions to long term challenges and investments? How can we learn from our efforts/mistakes when it comes to climate change? How do we go ‘beyond ’the pilot, and make sure upscaling and further implementation takes place? How to communicate about climate change and adaption with the local and
regional stakeholders?
Drents Overijselse Delta, the Netherlands
The IJssel-Vechtdelta is a region in the North-Eeastern part of The Netherlands, where the rivers IJssel and Vecht flow into the Ijssel lake. The abundant presence of water has driven the social and economic development in this region.
The regional and local governments collaborate for a water robust and climate proof region, with the aim to provide for a water safe area in 2100 where living and working, recreation and entrepreneurship can prosper. These collaborating governments have launched a program ‘Living with Water in the IJssel-Vechtdelta’ in 2014. One of the aims of the program is to improve the awareness of the communities within the region of the effects of climate change.
Through communication of the risks of climate change and through participation on the development of coping strategies, communities may learn to respond better to floods or heat and enhance their resilience. Thereby, this aim addresses the ‘awareness gap’ that the OESO found in the evaluation of the Dutch water governance in 2014. The key question the
water board wants to bring in the EVOKED project is how (and to what extent) the collaborating governments are able to shape the preparedness of communities at risk through effective communication strategies.
Some specific issues that will be addressed in the project are, firstly, to connect to different groups within communities (such as elderly people, youngsters or immigrants) and secondly to foster dialogues with these Groups.
City of Flensburg, Germany
In the face of climate change, the city of Flensburg is currently initiating the process of developing an adaptation agenda, in co-operation with local stakeholders.
Particular emphasis is given to the increasing risk of coastal flooding, as parts of the city are low lying and therefore highly exposed. Currently, no assessment of vulnerability to coastal flooding exists for the region and no measures are in place. Furthermore, local stakeholders do not seem to favor classical protection strategies, in the form of engineered and built options in the city, and appear more positive to alternative adaptation options for coping future flood risk.
A collaboration between the city of Flensburg and CAU has been initiated to provide support in assessing vulnerability and in exploring potential adaptation options.
