ARCH to protect European coastal zones

European coastal zones are coming under increasing pressure from industry and agriculture, suburban development and steadily growing tourism, and these already vulnerable areas are at risk of severe damage from climate change. The purpose of the new EU project, ARCH, is to develop knowledge to support the sustainable management of European coastal zones.

IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute is participating as one of ten research groups from ten different EU countries. The IVL researchers will develop climate scenarios for all ten European case study sites. IVL will also be responsible for carrying out a case study along the west coast of Sweden, with a particular focus on the Nordre and Göta river estuaries. Based on a comparison between the consequences of two different exploitation strategies, the Swedish study will formulate future scenarios for discussion with selected stakeholders in the area on the basis of the study´s findings.
 
“The key question is how different demands and interests are to be balanced so as to minimise environmental, economic and societal vulnerabilities in the coastal zone, especially in the context of climate change," says Anna Jöborn, Director at IVL.
 
Although Swedish authorities are currently reviewing their coastal and marine management programmes, only five percent of the nation´s local authorities are actively planning activities in this area.
 
Commencing this autumn, ARCH will run for four years. Led by the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), the project is funded by the EU Seventh Framework Programme.
 
For further information, please contact Marie Haeger-Eugensson, tel. +46-31-725 62 41.