Adaptation to Climate Change in the Baltic Sea Region

The project Baltadapt addressed the issue of climate change adaptation as a macro-regional challenge in the Baltic Sea Region. At the final conference 'Adaptation to Climate Change in the Baltic Sea Region' from 3 to 4 September 2013 in Riga, Latvia the project results were presented. Susanne Altvater of Ecologic Institute, together with Lotta Andersson of SMHI, officially presented the final products of the project, the Baltic Sea Region Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and its accompanying Action Plan. All presentations and videos of the keynote speeches are available online.

The Adaptation Strategy and its accompanying Action Plan are aiming to prepare the ground for a political endorsement of a Baltic Sea Region Strategy and Action Plan on Adaptation to Climate Change, which exceeds the mandate of the Baltadapt project. The conference therefore was a further step towards this political endorsement and eventually the implementation of a climate change adaptation strategy.

More than 120 participants – policy makers across all levels, scientists and other stakeholders dealing with climate change adaptation in the Baltic Sea Region and beyond – gathered to discuss practical achievements, gaps and the next required steps in Baltic Sea Region cooperation on climate change adaptation.

The presentations from all speakers are available for download. Additionally there are videos available of the keynote speeches.

Keynote Speeches 1st day

Europe adapting to the impacts of climate change
André Jol, Head of Group Vulnerability and Adaptation, European Environment Agency

What can we learn from climate models about future conditions in the Baltic Sea Region?
Erik Kjellström, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute

Keynote speeches 2nd day

Climate-ADAPT
André Jol, Head of Group Vulnerability and Adaptation, European Environment Agency 

The new Baltic Sea Region sub-section in the platform Climate-ADAPT
Sebastian Ebert, German Federal Environment Agency (UBA)

Climate change adaptation examples from the UK
Sebastian Catovsky, Head of Adaptation, Committee on Climate Change (UK)

BACC results: Climate Change and Impacts
Hans von Storch, Helmholtz Center Geesthacht

Is Europe adapting? The adoption and diffusion of climate change adaptation policies
Robbert Biesbroek, Wageningen University and Research Centre

Moreover the participants, as well as the interested public, had the unique possibility to experience the Geodome, an inflatable visualisation theatre featuring interactive sessions and films on climate scenarios and climate change adaptation