Adaptation to the climate change is a challenge for the cities
Current mitigation measures for climate change are not sufficient to stop global warming. Therefore societies should be prepared to face those societal, health-related and environmental consequences of the changing climate that can no longer be avoided. Adapting to climate change does not exclude the necessity of mitigation. Instead, both mitigation and adaptation measures are needed in order to achieve as sustainable situation as possible.
Finland’s challenges
Adaptation to climate change means the ways and methods through which people can be prepared for the harmful effects of climate change and utilise its potential advantages. In Finland, changes to at least temperatures and snow conditions can be expected. The challenges of climate change in Finland are related to storm water floods, water damage to buildings, extreme weather conditions and the maintenance of energy distribution and communication networks.
In 2005, Finland’s National Strategy for Adaptation was completed. Its purpose is to reinforce and improve Finland’s ability to adapt to climate change. In addition to the national strategy, regional operators have also compiled their own adaptation plans. For example the HSY (Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority) has compiled a climate change adaptation strategy for the metropolitan area, in which the vision is a climate-proof city.
Cities in key positions
Climate change will bring special challenges to the cities, as the growing amount of population is exposed to the effects of extreme weather conditions that are difficult to predict. Adapting to climate change is mainly carried out through local operations and most of the adaption measures are covered by the cities’ jurisdiction.
Even though adaptation measures have already extensively been carried out in Finland by for example preparing for floods, many cities are still lacking a city-specific adaptation plan. By taking into account the effects of climate change already during the first stages of planning urban areas, unnecessary costs can be avoided and cost-efficient adaptation measures can be implemented.
Important factor would be to integrate the climate change adaptation to the operations of all the city sectors and to raise the awareness of the city organisation, citizens and private companies on how to adapt to climate change. The Climate-proof city – tools for planning project provides new tools to support climate-proof urban planning and information on the best practices of adaptation.
(Updated 18/03/2014)
