Baltadapt Report #5: Climate Change Impacts on Infrastructure in the Baltic Sea Region

Infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region will be affected by climate change in various ways. Rising temperatures, decreasing sea ice cover, sea level rise, changing precipitation and storm patterns directly impact infrastructure such as coastal protection, maritime traffic, ports and touristic infrastructure. Indirect effects of climate change such as shifts in tourism or changes in demand will have further conse-quences for the maritime sector. The planning horizon for new infrastructure covers in general a few decades. Climate change impacts, associated costs and adaptation measures have to be implemented in investment decisions. Concrete scientific information on localized impacts is demanded by authorities and economy to implement climate change scenarios in their planning efforts. Climate change adaptation will require planning on different time scales: from immediate actions e.g., with cooling systems in response to heat waves, to new technologies or longterm planning and construction of protection schemes in response to sea level rise. Overall, climate change is only one factor when con-sidering future development of infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region; major players are economical, political, and societal changes. (Source: Baltadapt)