Climate Change and Coastal Protection Project RADOST: Regional Adaptation Strategies for the German Baltic Sea Coast

Consequences resulting from future Climate Change may be one of the most severe threats for people and economies in many countries of the world. With respect to Coastal Protection, the resulting changed hydrodynamic impacts are discussed globally. At present, a world-wide average sea level rise of less than 1.0 m within the 21st century can be assumed to be reasonable order of magnitude. Nevertheless, other sources, which are taking into account possible melting of the two main continental ice covers, estimate significantly higher values, especially over long periods. Besides the problem of sea level rise, also possible general changes in the frequency and intensity of storms as well as general changes in the average wind field are discussed worldwide. With respect to the protection of the coast against flooding and erosion, possible future coastal protection strategies and also possible future coastal protection measures are analyzed and assessed. The content of this paper has been published also in Nova Acta Leopoldina([3])