Description
One of the most significant impacts of global warming on regions is felt along coastlines, in the form of coastal erosion and rising sea levels. The European Environment Agency (EEA) has reported numerous alarming statistics related to these climate impacts, notably through its COPERNICUS tool, in a 2022 report titled “Global Ocean Mean Sea Level Time Series and Trends from Observations Reprocessing.” The figures are clear: since the beginning of the 20th century, the average global sea level has risen by approximately 20 cm.
Between 1993 and 2020 alone, the average rise was approximately 10 cm, indicating a recent acceleration of the phenomenon. In continental Europe, the rise observed between 1993 and 2019 was approximately 3 mm/year in the Mediterranean, between 1.4 and 2.5 mm/year in the Atlantic, and between 1.6 and 2.6 mm/year in the English Channel and North Sea. At the European level, studies cited by French monitoring agencies indicate that approximately 20% of Europe’s coastlines are subject to severe erosion.
For the EU, these figures matter because they directly affect densely populated areas, ports, energy infrastructure, and agricultural and tourist areas. Rising sea levels and coastal erosion therefore heighten the need for resilience, coastal protection, and adaptation in these regions.
How can we organize, at the European level, a just transition for coastal areas vulnerable to erosion and rising sea levels, by combining scientific knowledge, spatial planning, adaptation measures for major ports and cities, nature-based solutions, and new insurance models, within the framework of the European adaptation strategy and the EUCRA (European Climate Risk Assessment), which identify flood/erosion risk as a priority?
Speakers
- Marie EVO, Director of CEPRI (European Centre for Flood Risk Prevention)
- Gaelle HAUT, European Affairs Coordinator, Surfrider
- Hans-Andreas LEHMANN, Head of the Storm Surge Warning Service at the Port of Hamburg
Moderator: Vaia TUUHIA, Executive Director of Climate Chance