The East Frisian coastal region is facing major challenges, particularly about the long-term provision of adaptation to climate change. An increase of mean sea level, heavy precipitation events, storm surges, drainage and ground-water formation processes as well as saltwater intrusion represent crucial impacts of climate change. Those were already examined in numerous projects in the East Frisian region. However, there does not exist a combined view that takes possible interrelationships and interactions of all processes and factors into account.

The project aims to identify those interrelationships between the individual perspectives through the integrated consideration of coastal protection, inland drainage of the mainland coast as well as the freshwater supply of the East Frisian Islands. Relevant information is to be delivered for strategies, that are necessary to reduce cascading extreme events, such as heavy precipitation and storms in the region. It is aimed to provide tailor-made climate information services that can be finally discussed according to transformative governance.

The Ecological Economy team focuses on project unit 2 on the analysis of relevant actors and their relationships in the East Frisian coastal protection. It is to identify the dominant governance structures along with existing barriers and potentials for transformative governance. Based on this, the regional adaptation capacity and the need for adaptation are examined and discussed together with relevant actors.

WAKOS is an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary joint project by the collaboration of various science sectors and relevant practical partners from the model region. There exists a combination of scientific modelling (e. g. storm surge and swell scenarios) and social-science analysis with the active involvement of actors in East Frisian coastal protection.

Based on existing and new processed data of the region, regional climate models are to be developed that can be used to identify relevant parameters for assessing e. g. heatwaves, heavy precipitation etc. The aim is to develop scenario libraries, that describe possible regional developments and their uncertainties. Basis of the social-science analysis is the close cooperation with practice partners in the form of focus group discussions and expert interviews. Due to the pursued Co-Design of the strategies for adaptation to climate change, based on the identified regional climate change parameters, the focus lies on the identification of socially accepted necessities for acting and the improvement of the social adaptation capacity and hence resilience of the East Frisian coastal protection.

June 2020 - May 2023

The project WAKOS – Water at the coast of East Frisia: basis for tailor-made climate services for adaptation is funded with 2.290.000 million Euros by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

• Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Institute for Coastal Research
• Lower Saxony state enterprise for water management, coastal protection and nature conservation (Research Department Coast)
• Institute of Geography, University Hamburg
• Jade University of Applied Science Wilhelmshaven/Oldenburg/Elsfleth
• Institute of Biology and Environmental Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg