Mapping climate change - barriers and opportunities for action

the EU Floods Directive 3 , which sets out requirements e.g. for mapping of flooding risks and
preparation of risk management plans for flood-prone areas.
Due to the special physical conditions that characterise the west coast of Jutland, coastal protection
is here maintained by state and municipal authorities.
As a general rule, the establishment and operation of ports and fairways are the responsibility of the
individual port. A few ports are partially or fully state-owned. The state is also responsible for
maintaining the minimum depth of main fairways and the entrances to some ports.
Possibilities for adaptation
Coastal protection of the central part of the west coast of Jutland takes place chiefly by
compensating for erosion through beach nourishment. In order to curb the effects of climate change
and also maintain the current, political ambition to keep the coastal development in check, beach
nourishment efforts may be gradually increased. For other coasts, the significance of erosion should
be assessed for the individual area. The increase in erosion due to climate change is currently
progressing slowly. There is no immediate need for response, however, in the long run, it may be
relevant to look at coastal protection and land-use change. In other words, there are opportunities
for ongoing adaptation.
For those parts of Denmark where dykes and/or dunes protect human lives, the appropriate response
to the climate-change induced deterioration of dyke protection would be to fortify the dykes and
dunes to maintain the current level of protection. This would naturally include regular updating of
the emergency and storm surge response plan in place.
In connection with future maintenance work on port protection, it should be assessed whether the
individual construction can withstand increasing loads. Furthermore, emergency preparedness in the
event of storm alert should be adjusted regularly to prevent storm damage. Ferry landings should be
modified regularly and fairways should be dredged more frequently as required.
Initiatives completed and in progress
In 2010 the Ministry of Transport published a climate change adaptation strategy. Following the
publication, performance requirements for climate change adaptation were introduced in the 2012
performance contracts of all major institutions under the Ministry. These performance requirements
entail preparing an action plan for climate change adaptation with targets and a milestone plan, as
well as a "declaration of services" concerning the availability of the transport infrastructure.
In 2011, the Danish Coastal Authority published a national coastal protection strategy for the
climate proofing of Danish coasts that is required in order to ensure sustainable use of the coasts in
future. The coastal protection strategy aims at ensuring that coastal protection is approached
holistically, taking into account the many stakeholders involved, as well as including coastal
protection in a long-term perspective.
In 2011, the Danish Coastal Authority held a coastal conference at which focus was on the future
coastal landscape, the national coastal protection strategy and implementation of the EU Floods
3 The Danish Coastal Authority is responsible for implementing those parts of the EU Floods Directive that relate to coasts
and fjords, while the Danish Nature Agency is responsible for implementing the parts that relate to watercourses and lakes.
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