PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Coastal urban areas are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change (CC), such as rising sea levels and extreme weather events. Adaptation measures that take into account future uncertainties are crucial (COM/2013/216), since traditional adaptation strategies are not always a viable solution for sensitive areas such as Macaronesia islands (EU Outermost Regions). These islands are threatened by a high level of tourism, dense urban concentrations and frequent Atlantic storms that cause significant damage (€250m over the past decade). At the project pilot site, Garachico (Spain), extreme coastal flooding results in around €800 000 in damages per year, with flooding occurring on average every four to five years. CC will increase the magnitude and frequency of these events, leading to greater economic losses.
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE Garachico project aims to implement an innovative Flexible Adaptation Strategy Framework (FASF), based on a dynamic participatory approach, for the reduction of CC-induced flood risk in urban coastal zones. The FASF, which aims to establish acceptable levels of flood risk, will be implemented in Garachico (Canary Islands) to demonstrate that it is an effective strategy for adapting to CC in urban coastal areas. The project will thus provide the local public, managers and stakeholders with tools and protocols for determining acceptable levels of flood risk caused by CC. The plan is to implement four hard and 12 soft adaptation measures, including three early warning systems, to reduce the impacts of flooding and storm surges.
The project supports the European Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change (COM/2013/2016), specifically policy area 5, "Support to the EU's Outermost Regions: preparedness for extreme weather events, notably in coastal areas". It also contributes to: policy area 1, “Urban adaptation and land use planning which limits the impacts of climate change”; policy area 2, “Resilience of infrastructure, including application of blue-green infrastructure and ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation”; and policy area, 3 “Sustainable management of water in drought-prone areas, flood and coastal management”. By enhancing resilience in the Macaronesia Islands, where tourism is a major economic activity, the project also contributes to policy area 4, “Resilience of agricultural, forestry and tourism sectors, including in island and mountain areas”.
RESULTS
Expected results:
- Database and GIS viewer based dynamic maps of:
a. Vulnerability indices, considering economic, social and environmental parameters of the study sites
b. Exposure of the urban coastal area, including land-use, private buildings and public works
c. Coastal areas hazards at pilot and replication sites under different climate scenarios
d. Coastal flooding risk maps for different time scales, under different climate scenarios
- Technical recommendations document developed specifically for Macaronesia;
- Concept development for an innovative resilience fund for urban coastal communities;
- Development of safe observation protocols for a storm-oriented tourism industry; and
- 47 ha of resilient territory; benefits for the area’s 160 642 inhabitants benefited; raised awareness of around 249 700 people and the changed behaviour of around 6 640 people.
