OVERVIEW OF REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS AND SUPPORT MECHANISMS IN THE BALTIC SEA REGION

The report examines climate adaptation frameworks in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), finding that while all nine studied countries have national strategies, only Denmark mandates local-level adaptation plans. Most BSR countries encourage but do not require municipalities to develop specific adaptation strategies, often relying on project-based funding or integrating climate risks into broader spatial and emergency planning. The analysis highlights a strong focus on flood risk management and identifies critical knowledge gaps regarding the comprehensiveness of local risk assessments and the sufficiency of stable funding and guidance for local authorities.

• All nine countries in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) have national climate adaptation strategies, but not all have a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to guide implementation.
• Denmark is the only country among the nine studied that imposes a mandatory obligation for local governments to prepare a climate change adaptation strategy or action plan.
• In Sweden, local authorities are required by a 2018 government proposal to conduct comprehensive climate risk assessments to inform their master plans.
• Local adaptation efforts across the BSR are heavily focused on water-related risks, particularly flood risk assessment and management, often driven by the EU Floods Directive.
• Many local adaptation activities are driven by domestic or European transborder projects, which the report notes can lead to fragmented results and a lack of long-term sustainability once funding ends.
• Germany provides a centralized meta-information platform called KLiVO to guide users through the adaptation cycle and provide climate risk assessment resources.
• The report identifies two primary knowledge gaps: the extent to which local climate risk assessments go beyond narrow risks like flooding to be integrated across sectors, and whether existing funding and guidance for local authorities are sufficient.
• The report recommends strengthening local adaptation by increasing systematic national support, improving access to stable funding, and integrating climate risk assessments with disaster risk assessments.

APA

Tuhkanen, H., Piirsalu, E., & Lahtvee, V. (2019). OVERVIEW OF REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS AND SUPPORT MECHANISMS IN THE BALTIC SEA REGION. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/the-role-of-local-governments-in-adapting-to-climate.pdf

Chicago

Tuhkanen, Heidi, Evelin Piirsalu, and Valdur Lahtvee. OVERVIEW OF REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS AND SUPPORT MECHANISMS IN THE BALTIC SEA REGION. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2019. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/the-role-of-local-governments-in-adapting-to-climate.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tuhkanen |first1=Heidi |last2=Piirsalu |first2=Evelin |last3=Lahtvee |first3=Valdur |title=OVERVIEW OF REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS AND SUPPORT MECHANISMS IN THE BALTIC SEA REGION |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2 September 2019 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/the-role-of-local-governments-in-adapting-to-climate.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tuhkanen2019overview, author = {Tuhkanen, Heidi and Piirsalu, Evelin and Lahtvee, Valdur}, title = {{OVERVIEW OF REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS AND SUPPORT MECHANISMS IN THE BALTIC SEA REGION}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2019}, month = sep, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/the-role-of-local-governments-in-adapting-to-climate.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }