THE CLIPLIVE PROJECT

Climate change is a common challenge that the societies are facing. According to the various types of modeling, climate conditions in the area of the Gulf of Finland will change dramatically. By 2100, mean annual temperature is expected to rise up to 7 degree Celsius and average annual precipitation could increase by as much as 40%. At the same time, the days with snow cover can reduce up to 60% and the maximum depth of frozen soil can reduce from the current 100 to 160 cm to only 0 to 80 cm. Sea level rise from 2000 until 2100 is in the range of 21 to 81cm. On the other hand the post glacial land uplift in the western part of region is up to 4 mm/year, while is only between 0 and 1 mm/year in the vicinity of St. Petersburg.

The Russian national climate change doctrine was adopted in December 2009. This document declares that the climate change is one of the key problems related to all aspects of sustainable development of the Russian Federation. According to the Doctrine regional authorities of Russian Federation must take climate change parameters into account when preparation regional development plans.

Finland’s National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change was adopted in 2005 (MMM 2005). It lists potential needs for adaptation in land use and community planning for flood-sensitive areas and structures, the shore areas, soil and the conduction of rainwater and surface waters. Most of the Regional Councils in Finland are currently preparing climate change strategies for their regions. Already now, climate change mitigation is considered in regional planning and also adaptation measures are presented, especially for flood risk management.

The CliPLivE project contributes to reducing the exposure to hazards and to promoting of emergency preparedness in the built areas around the Gulf of Finland. Many effects, that are expected to aggravate under climate change, are seen as potential threats for the safety and health of the population already now (storm surges, heat islands, droughts, erosion/land slides).

The project is promoting the transfer of experiences and know-how in the field of climate change induced environmental and geological risks. It will offer new tools and methodologies for risk assessment and management of selected environmental and geological risks in different planning levels. It will raise the awareness of the target groups and other stakeholders in geological and environmental risks – existing and climate change aggravated or induced. The project will support sustainable development by enhancing the knowledge on environmental and geological risks, risk assessment and adaptation measures towards climate change.

The project outputs such as geological risk maps will be used as educational material in the programme of “urban geology” developing for the geological department of St. PetersburgStateUniversity. The geological risk assessment methodology will be also integrated in that educational programme.

Overall project objectives

  • Assessment the integrated geological and environmental risks for the built areas in the Gulf of Finland region caused by geological peculiarities of the region
  • Identification climate change parameters and their possible influence on geological and environmental processes causing environmental risks for the built areas in the Gulf of Finland region
  • Developing the adaptation strategies for St. Petersburg, the Kymenlaakso region, the Uusimaa region and the Helsinki metropolitan area through cooperation between local and regional authorities and organisations

Main project outputs:

  • Unified methodology for geological and environmental risk assessment will be developed
  • Maps of geological and environmental risks for current situation and under different climate change scenarios will be compiled
  • Practical recommendations on measures for geological and environmental risk reduction developed
  • Common WEB resource providing geological risk information for target groups on the both Finnish and Russian sides will be published