Mapping climate change - barriers and opportunities for action

generation of national water plans is to be submitted by the end of 2015. New knowledge will be
able to underpin the implementation of climate change adaptation in water planning.
For nature on land there has been no complete mapping of the possibilities to adapt to climate
change. It should be assessed whether existing regulation in this area is adequate to support climate
change adaptation. In this connection, it would be relevant to apply, and possibly to amend, a
number of acts, including the nature protection act, the environmental targets act and the planning
act. As the need for knowledge is being gradually met, it would be relevant to disseminate new
knowledge to various nature administrators such as land owners, municipalities and authorities at
state level. It is essential to remember that nature can be used in general climate change adaptation
efforts to cushion the effects of climate change, e.g. to serve as a buffer in situations involving
heavy rainfall or to prevent nutrient run-off.
Health
In terms of human health, climate change adaptation is primarily about collecting knowledge and
providing consultancy about risks to authorities, health-care staff and individuals. The Danish
Health and Medicines Authority is preparing information material and providing consultancy on an
ongoing basis about the possible negative effects of climate change, e.g. about mould, how to
include extreme weather in public health emergency response plans, and about precautionary
measures during warm spells and heatwaves. The forward-looking efforts will mostly be a
continuation of initiatives that have already been launched. Finally, it may be relevant to make
greater use of health impact assessments of potential alternative approaches in climate change
adaptation in order to improve decision-making.
Emergency preparedness
The government's report on emergency preparedness (May 2010) points out that in future the
Danish fire and rescue service must be prepared to mitigate the follow-on effects of several climaterelated
events such as hurricanes/storms, heavy precipitation, cloudbursts, storm surges, and
extreme water levels. On the basis of experience from climate-related events since 2007, it is likely
that equipment to tackle such events will continue to be in demand in the future. The size of the
investments required depends e.g. on whether there are enough preventive measures in other
sectors, as well as on future organisation and coordination of the rescue preparedness services at
local and central-government levels. The closer the collaboration and coordination of equipment
procurement and resource use across local and central-government levels, the better and more costeffectively
the effects of climate change can be managed.
Insurance
So far, insurance companies have been able to recover greater indemnification costs due to climate
events via increases in premiums and reinsurance schemes. Insurance companies are widely
equipped with the necessary tools to prepare for climate change by adjusting coverage and
premiums. Furthermore, the insurance industry has already launched initiatives to exchange data
with public authorities so that the insurance companies will be able to adapt coverage and premiums
to risks, and so that the municipalities and individual citizens can reduce their exposure to climate
change. However, it is important to monitor the insurance industry in terms of citizens and
enterprises that in future will not be able to take out insurance against water damage.
Spatial planning
Spatial planning is an effective instrument of control which can contribute to reducing or
eliminating negative effects, as well as exploiting positive effects, of climate change in a number of
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