2021

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Gotheca

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Glacier Impacts on the Hydrological Systems in Europe and Central Asia

Fieldwork at Tyrstigbreen, Stryn. Photo by Yongmei Gong, NTNU Department of Geography

The Gotheca project develops a comprehensive risk assessment scheme for a timely application of increasingly accurate predictions of freshwater availability and Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in glacierized regions to local mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Mountain ranges are often referred to as the water towers of the world because they store enormous amounts of fresh water as snow and ice and deliver freshwater to large areas further downstream. Global warming is causing increased melting, creating new natural hazards and affecting industries such as energy production and tourism across Europe.

instable water flow

In densely populated areas in Central Asia, frequent changes to the amount of meltwater from snow and glacial ice results in great variation in water flow throughout the year. This has a negative impact on the ecosystem, but also markets. These regions also face a recurring threat of flooding as a result of increased melting and GLOFs (Glacier Lake Outburst Floods).

climate adaptation tools

Gotheca will develop a risk assessment method that allows for prediction of the amount of freswater areas close to glaciers will have access to at different points in the year. The tool will also be helpful in predicting risk of GLOFs. This insight will constitute a resource for local and regional authorities involved in climate adaptation.

The project combines natural and social sciences with communication strategies to reach local stakeholders and develop a tool for risk analysis.

Glacial lake at Tyrstigbreen. Photo by Yongmei Gong, NTNU Department of Geography

sustainability goals

The research project Gotheca will use local insight to deliver new, research-based insights to local stakeholders and decision-makers so that they can develop appropriate measures. This will be of help to both developed and less developed areas that are directly dependent on meltwater to fulfil the UN’s Sustainability Goals.

TwO NORADAPT PARTNers

The project is lead by the Department of Geography at NTNU and involves participants from the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences in addition to other institutions outside of Noradapt.

Visit the project website

Start date: 1 october 2021

end date: 31 december 2025

Funded by: the research council of norway and NTNU

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TransAdapt

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Making trans-border climate change risks tangible for adaptation actions (TransAdapt)

The experiences of covid-19 have increased awareness of cross-border climate risk, ie that something is happening in one country linked to climate change, and that this has ripple effects in completely different countries. This is a type of risk society must also adapt to, in addition to "traditional" climate risk.

The main goal of the project is to investigate and show how one can put cross-border climate risk on the agenda in the local and national work with climate adaptation. The project also has four sub-goals.

Four of the research partners in Noradapt participates in the project: Nordland Research Institute, Cicero, Norce and Western Norway Research Institute. In addition to the Stockholm Environment Institute.

Sub-goals

  1. Develop an indicator-based top-down method for analyzing cross-border climate risk at national level

  2. Demonstrate how one can analyze cross-border climate risk for specific sectors

  3. Demonstrate how one can analyze risk ownership along and across value chains and policy levels

  4. Analyze governance at several levels, and across sectors, for adaptation to cross-border climate risk

Starte date: 01.12.2021

end date: 31.12.2025

financed by: Noradapt

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Co-Adapt

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Communities for Climate Change Action (Co-Adapt)

The goal of the project is to develop a participation tool for climate change action. The tool will facilitate climate adaptation and emission reductions in cities in Poland.

The project looks at strategies to overcome barriers to activity and grassroots participation, and we place emphasis on finding innovative designs for applied research on climate change action.

The project will help to strengthen resilience and integrate more people into participatory processes in urban communities, which can strengthen the cities' ability to adapt. The need for adaptation to climate change is increasing, also in cities.

The tool uses methods that are called "serious gaming" and will open up to experiment with strategies and solutions to climate problems. We would like to overcome the so-called "motivation gap" in the climate change adaptation and create a broad and large commitment to work with climate change action.

START date: 01.10.2021

end date:

financed by: the research council of norway

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Nordic perspectives on transboundary impacts of climate change

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The project is an assessment on cross-border climate risk for the Nordic Council of Ministers.

The main objective of the project is to improve the understanding of the effect of transboundary impacts of climate change in the Nordic countries. It also aims at identifying priority sectors and possibilities for joint Nordic action.

The leader of the project is Kati Berninger, Tyrsky Consulting.

START date: 21.09.2021

end date: 01.05.2022

financed by: nordic council of ministers

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Sustainability analysis of climate change adaptation measures

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The project will result in a sustainability analysis for selected climate adaptation measures that are relevant to Rogaland.

In the project, we will first map the climate vulnerability of the municipalities in Rogaland. This survey will then form the basis for the selection of climate adaptation measures to be analyzed. Technical criteria for climate adaptation measures must be described and quantified.

These parties participated in the project:

Research:

  • Western Norway Research Institute

  • SINTEF community

Municipalities/county municipalities:

  • Sauda municipality

  • Sola municipality

  • Gjesdal municipality

  • Karmøy municipality

  • Hjelmeland municipality

  • Rogaland County Municipality

Business/consulting companies:

  • Asplan Viak AS

  • Faber Bygg AS

  • Sweco Norge AS

  • Skjæveland gruppen

In the sustainability analyzes, the partners must first define which sustainability goals the climate adaptation measures are to contribute to fulfilling. These goals will cover the dimensions of technical performance, economy, environmental friendliness, compliance with regulations and societal benefits. The project will then define the criteria to be used to measure goal achievement for the selected climate adaptation measures.

In the next step, indicators will be prepared which in turn will be used to quantify these criteria. Due to uncertainty related to the climate of the future, scenarios will be included in the analysis, and it is the user partners who decide on the weighting of the various dimensions in the scenario analyzes. This three-step analysis; define goals, criteria and indicators, builds on existing and ongoing studies, and is an iterative process that requires strong user partner involvement.

The parties (municipalities and other stakeholders) shall jointly find out which goals and criteria are relevant for Rogaland, and find out what information and data are available that can add value to the indicators.

The fourth step in the sustainability analysis is to rank the climate adaptation measures. This ranking will provide the municipalities with a basis for choosing the most sustainable combinations of climate adaptation measures to mitigate the local vulnerabilities.

Project leader is SINTEF, contact person: Maria Barrio Hernandez

Project owner is Stavanger municipality, contact person: Hugo Kind

START date: 01.08.2021

end date: 31.07.2024

financed by: Regionalt forskingsfond Rogaland

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Barriers to climate change adaptation at local and regional level of governance

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The three collaborating parties - CICERO (project manager), Nordland Research Institute and Western Norway Research Institute - will, on behalf of the Norwegian Environment Agency, compile existing knowledge on barriers to achieving the national goal of climate change adaptation and the current policy instrument for climate change adaptation. The compilation of knowledge shall contain a clarification of the concepts barriers and policy instruments. Furthermore, the project will create an updated status for barriers at local and regional level through a broad involvement of relevant user groups.

START date: 01.06.21

end date: 31.12.21

financed by: norwegian environment agency

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Indicators for climate change adaptation of buildings and infrastructure in municipalities

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This project will further develop indicators for climate adaptation in municipalities, and adapt these to Western Norway. 

The project will build on existing research, and will primarily be a continuation of the project «Indicators for measuring climate adaptation of physical areas, buildings and infrastructure in small, medium and large municipalities», which SINTEF prepares together with the Network for climate adaptation in Trøndelag.

This project is based on the MRE model, as well as indicators developed for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the ZEN research center. The activity will also run in parallel with relevant work done on climate adaptation in the research center Klima 2050.

Partners of the project:

  • Western Norway Research Institute

  • Sintef

  • Osterøy municipality

  • Sunnfjord municipality

  • Kvam Herad

  • Sogndal municipality

  • Fitjar municipality

  • Kinn municipality

  • Luster municipality

  • Trondheim municipality

  • Vestland County Council

The municipalities will have different starting points. We will therefore start with a review of the municipalities' ROS analysis, municipal plan and climate plan (municipal sub-plan for climate or thematic plan for climate). Furthermore, we look at the climate vulnerability analysis. If the municipalities have not prepared the documents mentioned above, their preparation will be useful input to the development of indicators and their relevance to Western Norway.

We will further, using available data, develop a set of simple indicators for climate adaptation of buildings and infrastructure in municipalities. We want to focus on indicators that can be graded and are comparable between municipalities and over time. The indicators must also distinguish at the actor level and how far the municipalities have come in the climate adaptation work. A user guide for the indicators must be prepared, and the indicators must be tested.

We also want to develop economic indicators for climate adaptation of buildings and infrastructure in the municipalities. This entails indicators for benefit / cost analyzes for investments where the expected effects of climate change are taken into account, and for budget allocation to climate adaptation measures. Furthermore, we want to develop indicators for climate adaptation in operation, for example in the form of maintenance costs. Relevant indicators must be quantified in the project.

start date: 01.05.2021

end date: 30.04.2024

financed by: Regionale forskningsfond Vestland

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Participatory methods for climate change adaptation

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To secure sustainable development, climate change transformation and adaptation should be integrated into regional and local planning processes. There is also a growing need to mobilize and integrate local knowledge into these processes, as well as to develop greater understanding, engagement, legitimacy and social learning for and within the municipal populations.

Previous studies have found that municipalities often face barriers when interpreting flood-data and that increased uncertainty creates new challenges in different sectors. This may imply that there is a need to develop broader data-collections and better communication methods for risk assessment in local contexts.

Trying out methods

In cooperation with Vestland County Council, the partners Western Norway Research Institute, NORCE Climate, and the Department of Geography at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology will develop and test various participatory methods such as citizen science, visualization of climate change data and participation in planning processes. The research will be conducted in Osterøy, Sunnfjord, and Kinn municipalities, which also are project participants, and they all need to strengthen their efforts towards climate change adaptation.

The project will develop:

  • Citizen science methods that contribute to greater engagement and legitimacy to the knowledge basis for local adaptation measures

  • Vizualisation and communication tools for that makes knowledge available and relevant for citizens

  • Participatory methods for increasing citizens involvement in planning processes

Residents are encouraged to record flood and flooding events in one app and share weather data from private measuring stations. Photo: Department of Geography, NTNU

People can share their own data

"Citizen science" means that ordinary people take part in research. In this project, the inhabitants will be able to contribute by using a smartphone app for registering floods and flood events. They can also share data from their private weather stations.

The idea for the project came as a result of a course for Ph.D. and Masters' students organized by the Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation (CET) and Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities at The University of Bergen in collaboration with the Norwegian Centre for Sustainable Climate Change Adaptation and other partners the fall of 2019. The project-partners also participated in the course.

The project is led by Vestland County Council, by Lene Omdahl.

START date: 01.04.2021

end date: 01.04.2024

financed by: The Research Council of norway