2018

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From two to one climate adaptation county: Mapping of experiences from regional planning and climate adaptation work in the new Vestland

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Western Norway Research Institute and NORCE Social Sciences carries out a survey of the overall experience base in the field of climate adaptation in the regional planning and development work in Sogn og Fjordane and Hordaland. The background is that the two counties will be merged into one county, Vestland, in 2020.

The project has four sub-goals:

  • Document what experiences each of the county has gained in this field

  • Find out what the two counties can learn from each other in the field of climate adaptation

  • Assess what challenges and knowledge needs the new county faces in the further work with adaptation to climate change

  • Make suggestions on how Vestland County can meet the new challenges that result from climate change

The reports from the project are available on Western Norway Research Institute’s website.

Start date: 01.12.2018

end date: 31.12.2019

financed by: sogn og fjordane county council og hordaland county council

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Climate adaptation in risk and vulnerability analyzes (ROS) for Oslo Municipality

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The Climate Agency in Oslo Municipality experienced that the current use of risk and vulnerability analyzes (ROS) in the planning process did not capture the consequences of natural events and climate change in good enough. This was the starting point for them asking Western Norway Research Institute and Western Norway University of Applied Sciences to prepare a report with input for better practice in the area.

The report outlines opportunities, barriers and challenges in the work of integrating oversight of climate change into the ROS work. The researchers have given advice on how to avoid or work with the barriers and utilize the possibilities, especially in light of the new state planning guideline for climate adaptation.

Read the report Climate adaptation in risk and vulnerability analyzes (ROS) for Oslo Municipality.

Start date: 01.12.2018

end date: 31.01.2019

Financed by: Oslo municipality

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Environmental technology and climate change adaptation

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Forskarane bak prosjektet, Tone Rusdal og Torunn G. Hønsi, la fram resultat for deltakarar frå næringslivet under konferansen Klimaomstilling 2019.

Western Norway Research Institute will discuss the use and development of environmental technology in climate change adaptation work as a possible new focus area for business development in Sogn.

The purpose of the investigation is to

  1. Map views on - possibly proposals - for new environmental technologies to meet the challenges relating to climate change adaptation and

  2. Evaluate the potential for

    a) establishing Sogn as a national meeting arena for this theme, and

    b) new businesses establishments in Sogn in this area.

Environmental technology is understood in this project as all technologies, products and solutions that directly or indirectly improve the environment; ie in this context adapting society to the consequences of expected climate change. The project will look at both "hard" and "soft" technology. The "hard" includes technical changes in production processes and/or products (eg need for easier harvesting machines that come out on wet land), while "soft" includes changes in production processes and/or products (eg need new routines for fertilixation, soil cultivation and harvesting).

Lecture (Norwegian): Climate adaptation technology and business development

Article (Norwegian): It is urgent to protect ourselves from a changing climate

start date: 01.11.2018

end date: 01.05.2019

financed by: sogn regionråd

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Mapping of experiences from the work on climate change adaptation in small- og mediumsized municipalities

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KS conducted a web-based national survey on climate change adaptation in the municipalities in the autumn of 2017 (Wang 2018). The purpose was to get a strong knowledge base on the work on climate adaptation in the municipalities.  In the extension of the survey, KS wishes to follow up with an in-depth survey of small and medium-sized municipalities  to get a deeper impression on the work of this kind of municipalities and the need for follow-up. This will also contribute to a better foundation for KS's further work on policy development, knowledge development and implementation power for our members.

The work includes in-depth interviews with selected persons in 11 municipalities: Aurland, Gjerdrum, Harstad, Lund, Lyngen, Namsos, Nedre Eiker, Ringebu, Vestvågøy, Voss and Ørskog. The municipalities have been selected because they have fewer than 50,000 inhabitants and particularly large damage payments in the last ten years for natural damage related to floods, storm surges, wind and landslides.

Based on the study, the researchers come up with four recommendations:

  • Government funding for local security measures within climate adaptation should be significantly strengthened.

  • An earmarked subsidy for a municipal climate coordinator to ensure that the administrative capacity reaches a necessary minimum level.

  • A national analysis of vulnerability to climate change in Norwegian municipalities and how this varies with t.d. geographical size, economic basis and habitat type. The analysis will provide a necessary knowledge base for a more targeted and effective climate adaptation.

  • A significant strengthening of the work of making knowledge about climate challenges and adaptation measures more locally relevant. This applies to research, development and government guidance.

Read the report “Kartlegging av erfaringer fra arbeidet med klimatilpasning i små- og mellomstore kommuner”

START date: 01.11.2018

end date: 01.03.2019

FINANced by: SOGN REGIONRÅD

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ClimTour

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Impacts of climate change on Norwegian nature based tourism (ClimTour)

Development of tourism, one of the world’s fastest growing industries, has become an important strategy for regional economic development in Norway. At the same time, climate change is altering the conditions on which tourism is based. Ski-tourism is already being affected by a lack of snow in multiple destinations across the globe, recently also identified to be the case for some of the Norwegian destinations. Tourism, and nature based tourism in particular, is dependent on ecosystem and climate services such as snow, aesthetic landscapes and wildlife, as well as being dependent of well-functioning physical infrastructure such as roads, harbors and telecommunications; all of which is subject to impacts from climate change.

Some ski resorts in Norway will be negatively affected by climate change after a quarter as mild winters become more common. Photo: Recbecca Sortland

The user partners are:

  • Destinasjon Lofoten

  • Reisemål Hardangerfjord

  • Visit Sognefjord.

  • Den Norske Turistforening (DNT)

  • Flåm AS

  • NCE Tourism Fjord Norway

Norwegian research partners:

  • Western Norway Research Institute

  • Nordland Research Institute

  • Uni Research AS

  • MET Norway

  • Department of Bioscience at the University of Oslo

  • Miljøfaglig Utredning

International research partners:

  • Dr Paul Peeters at Centre for Sustainability, Tourism and Transport, Breda University of Applied Sciences (CSTT)

  • Professor Daniel Scott at the University of Waterloo, Canada

  • Professor Bruno Abegg at the University of Innsbruck, AustriaProfessor

  • Michael C. Hall at the Department of Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

Still, little is known about how the Norwegian tourism industry will be affected, or its ability to cope with potential challenges and stress caused by climate change. The overarching aim of the project is to enable a sustainable adaptation to climate change of the nature based tourism industry in Norway.

The sub-objectives are:

  1. Assess climate change consequences for weather conditions critical to the nature based tourism industry

  2. Assess climate change consequences for selected ecosystem services and physical infrastructure critical to the nature based tourism industry

  3. Develop climate change adaptation strategies for the involved user-partners

  4. Develop climate services that can support the tourism industry in comprehending impacts of climate change and developing adaptation strategies and measures.

The tourism industry has responded very positively on this project initiative, seeing a need for better knowledge on these issues. The participating stakeholders will take active part in the knowledge production, in line with the concept of co-production of knowledge. This approach will ensure the quality of the knowledge output, secure ownership to it among tourism stakeholders, and promote the practical use of the knowledge in adapting to climate change.

The project consists of five case studies: Mountain hiking, physical infrastructure, fishing and hunting, winter tourism, and coast- and alpine based tourism. Furthermore, the project will benefit by getting input from some of the highest ranking international researchers on tourism and climate change in the world. The two user-oriented outputs from the project will be a climate services module tailormade for tourism on www.klimaservicesenter.no, and an interactive climate game designed to promote reflections on climate change impacts and adaptation options for tourism.

This short film by Norwegian filmmaker and photographer Johan Wildhagen is made for the ClimTour project to sum up findings, whilst conveying a deeper, melancholic message.

START date: 01.01.2018

end date: 31.12.2022

Funded by: The research council of norway