Planning for Climate Change: The Adaptation Challenge. A Nordic Perspective.

On September 11, 2007, a group of 70 practitioners, policymakers, researchers and other actors met in Helsinki to discuss one the most challenging and important issues on the current global agenda – climate change, and particularly adaptation to the effects of a changing climate. This conference, entitled, Planning for Climate Change: The Adaptation Challenge – A Nordic Perspective, organised by the Nordic Council of Ministers and Nordregio, Nordic Centre for Spatial Development, examined the challenges and opportunities inherent in climate change adaptation in the Nordic Countries and how planning and political processes can deal with these imperatives. As a result of the NCM/Nordregio conference, several aspects of climate adaptation were spotlighted: 1) The importance of finding the synergies between climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. 2) A major question for research is how these trans-national regions and areas can learn from one another? What are the mechanisms by which the transfer of knowledge of climate change adaptation can be transmitted? 3) Climate adaptation is prompting new spatial challenges for planning in the Nordic countries, as municipalities and regions must now integrate the risks of a changing climate into their land-use planning, coastal management and watercourse frameworks. However, the tools with which to do this are not necessarily forthcoming. 4) Communication, capacity-building and disseminations strategies within the Nordic countries are areas ripe for further collaboration. 5) Another key question is who should bear the costs and responsibility for climate change adaptation. (Source: Nordic Council of Ministers and Nordregio)