Integrating science and policy for creating tools for safer European coasts in a changing climate.

Densely populated areas along the coast face many problems, including erosion, increasing flood risk and habitat deterioration. As economies develop, the asset base at risk increases. Simultaneously, the effects of climate change result in more extreme events, thus more damage and habitat decline. Existing management and defence approaches are not well tuned to these challenges, as most assume static situations. In the THESEUS1 project (2009–2013), 31 partners are working together in an interdisciplinary way to develop instruments for creating low-risk coasts for human use and healthy habitats (INFRAM, 2011). For this, eight study sites were identified across Europe in the most vulnerable coastal environments such as deltas, estuaries and wetlands. Many large cities and industrial areas are located in these areas. The authors have assessed the coastal systems of these sites from the perspective of the risk assessment due from every Member State by 2011. A questionnaire was developed and interviews were input for a systems analysis, for which the coastal systems were divided into subsystems according to risk function (chanceconsequences), physical elements (sea, foreshore, flood defence, protected area) and land use. Based on these analyses, a first impression of possible policy changes, organisational and/or mitigation measures was identified.