NATURAL HAZARDS AND CLIMATE (CHANGE) ADAPTATION - EXAMPLES OF INTERDISCIPLINARY GEOSCIENCE - DECISION MAKER COOPERATION

The rising costs caused by natural hazards are often attributed to climate change impacts. Meanwhile it is currently not possible to prove climate change impacts as the cause for rising costs it is a fact that most of the increasing damages can be attributed to inappropriate land-use. The correct communication of climate change scenarios and their uncertainties are most crucial for later application of adaptation measures in decision making processes.

Projects related to natural hazards, climate change and regional development conducted under the European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON) have supported the development of hazard and climate change oriented policy recommendations^{1; 2}. Regional Development projects in the Baltic Sea Region have been more concrete in stakeholder communication and have led to concrete decision making^{3; 4; 5}.

The scenarios developed under these projects comprise, among others, sea level rise and changing flood prone areas, salinization of aquifers and drought impacts, all of which were analyzed in interdisciplinary cooperation. Examples of successful results comprise the mentioning of these projects in international documents (e.g. the Territorial Agenda of the European Union; the EU Green paper on climate change adaptation, 4^th IPCC report). Several cities and municipalities have cooperated in the development of participatory process design for the development of adaptation measures. The mentioned projects have contributed to concrete decisions and actions to adapt to potential impacts of natural hazards and climate change.

¹Natural and technological hazards affecting the spatial development in Europe (http://www.gtk.fi/projects/espon)

²Climate change and territorial effects on regions and local economies (www.espon-climate.eu)

³Sea Level Change Affecting the Spatial Development of the Baltic Sea Region (http://www.gtk.fi/slr)

⁴Developing Policies and Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change in the Baltic Sea Region (http://www.astra-project.org)

⁵Climate Change: Impacts, Costs and Adaptation in the Baltic Sea Region (http://www.baltcica.org)