C8: Håb to Håb

The C.8. project focuses on involving stakeholders – citizens, politicians, administration, the waste water company, etc. – in an effort to create a common understanding of the CCA challenges in the project area in order to make long-term sustainable choices. Furthermore, the project underlines the need for growth and development and, of course, climate proofing the project area, preparing scenarios for how the area can develop, taking first step(s) from idea to action.

People have lived in the coastal area between Juelsminde and Snaptun since the beginning of the current warm period (Holocene). The coastal settlements are a particular feature of the area, and today the area is one of the most attractive outdoor leisure areas in Hedensted Municipality. Together with Juelsminde, it is the centre for costal tourism in the municipality.

Much of the river valleys are cultivated. The natural areas consist of cliff forests, meadows (mostly peatland) and marshland connected to watercourses. In terms of geology, the area contains moraines, freshwater peats and organic silts, and marine saltwater formations.

The area is close to a migration path for birds following the route along Jutland's coast. The area is close to one of the most important resting grounds for seabirds in Habitat Site no. 52, “Horsens Fjord, havet øst for og Endelave” (Horsens Fjord, the sea to the east and Endelave).

The challenges from changed climate consist of higher sea levels and greater volumes of water being transported from several watercourses in the coastal hinterland. Today, two sluices regulate the relationship between draining fresh water to the sea and the flow of saltwater from the sea to the hinterland.

It has a long-term impact on the assets in the widespread holiday home areas, on the continued possibility for cultivating agricultural areas using crop rotation, and the possibility of maintaining and developing a good ecological condition in the watercourses. There is approx. a 15 km watercourse, which has a base elevation of 0 or lower. It is also a complex task to simultaneously protect settlements from flooding, develop the area as an outdoor leisure and tourist area and ensure good ecological conditions in the watercourse and in the countryside. Taking action also increases the storage of carbon and reduce the emissions of carbon from peatlands, or create new resting and breeding areas for seabirds and wading birds, to compensate for the salt-affected meadows, which will disappear when the sea level rises.

The Hedensted Municipal Plan 2013-2025 fixes guidelines for lowland areas, laying down potential flooding areas as CCA areas. In the open countryside, these areas may only be changed to nature areas, wetlands and recreational areas. This means that with conversion, it strengthens the area’s natural, so that the water environment plan’s goals are maintained and that it becomes possible to remove nutrients.

The challenges that the area faces in particular: A more natural interplay between the coast and the coast’s hinterland, and optimal cohesion between investments in good water environment and natural assets, in CCA, in CO2 reduction and in the development of the area. Furthermore existing challenges include for example: finding solutions for the lowest lying holiday homes; dealing with wastewater and rainwater in an area affected intermittently by saltwater and rainfall effects, ensuring a good lifetime for the main traffic routes and other infrastructure, which complement the Municipality Plan 2013–2025, describing that new infrastructure like roads, etc., will be built to withstand raised sea levels; and ensuring accessibility for emergency services to Juelsminde.

What
To form the basis for subsequent decision-making and as an important element of the awareness raising and involvement of the citizens, three descriptive challenge based scenarios will be developed:1) if doing nothing, 2) if the area between sea and watercourse is opened and follow nature’s and the climate’s developments, or 3) close the area using sluices and dikes, so as to pump fresh water out into the sea. The scenarios are based on historical and Quaternary geological data, as well as on an assessment of the future environmental developments. These scenarios also build on the analysis on climate cultural history, made by Aarhus University, because it mobilises citizens' interest in the area.

How
The action will include the following activities:

Phase 1

Based on previous data, setting up three data loggers in the watercourse system for collecting data on the water level and salinity, as well as a trial with an “open sluice” to get an indication of the effect of any eventual dismantling of the sluices, the three scenarios are prepared.

How:

• AU and an external consultant is involved in the designing of the descriptive scenarios, securing a continuity of the common knowledge and understanding of the area and is a method to keep focus for the municipal administration.
• The descriptive scenarios and the climate history are visualised and presented to the public (see C.8.2).

Phase 2 and beyond

Each scenario will contain: a long-term development goal (What will it look like in the future? How will the area be experienced? What will it mean for selected stakeholder groups? How may tourism be affected and can the cultural heritage narrative make the area more attractive?), project ideas (to test new solutions), detailed proposal for a first stage.

In 2nd phase and beyond, dialogue continues among stakeholders (cf. C8.2) on the three descriptive scenarios in order to secure consensus about the eventual Climate Change Adaption approach. Knowledge, results, and the project's progress will be disseminated (at the internet, at themed meetings, and field tours with land associations).

During these phases, Aarhus University will continue the dialogue on the future cultural environment and the storytelling of the project area.

The climate story serves a dual purpose – it mobilises local interest, and it brands the area and attracts more tourism. During Phase 2, the chosen descriptive scenario will be elaborated into a number of development scenarios with solutions to choose from.

Where: The scenario development shall take place in project area.

When:
Phase 1: Activities 1 and 2
Phase 2 and beyond 

What
A number of activities targeted citizens and stakeholders take place during the project period (and beyond). Citizens must be made aware of the consequences of the(ir) choices and empowered to take the right decisions. This activity deals with the proper engagement of citizens stakeholders in the process. 

How 

Phase 1

To reach a common understanding of the Climate Change Adaption challenges, stakeholders and citizens are invited to join in discussions and make field trip to areas with similar problems to investigate solutions that may serve as inspiration. In this way, stakeholders get a deeper understanding of the area and learn about the world around them.

Concrete activities are:

1. 2 field frips and excursions among stakeholders to investigate best practices of how the challenges are handled elsewhere (e.g. for agriculture, enterprises, summer houses, etc.),
2. 1 – 2 workshops and working groups

Phase 2 and beyond

Discussions among stakeholders and citizens continue in order to prioritize and to reach the eventual decision on how best to implement Climate Change Adaption. As Phase 1 was very focused on awareness raising, later activities are focused on the proper decisions.

Where: destinations of the excursions tbd., workshops will take place in the project area.

When:
Phase 1: activities 1 and 2
Phase 2 and beyond: to be specified later

This action deals with the transition from scenarios to concrete decisions on how Climate Change Adaption can be carried out in a complex area in an interplay between knowledge about culture, nature, biodiversity and carbon sequestration. Whereas C8.2 was targeted stakeholders and their interests, this activity involves the political level and broader perspectives.

How

Phase 1

Political discussions and survey of the challenges.

1. Hold a final conference, where the City Council discusses scenarios with citizens and stakeholders and creates local project groups.
2. Political deliberations in the City Council, with a choice of the most suitable scenario for the area’s development by by 2022.

Phase 2 and beyond

1. Prepare complementary projects based on the proposal for “test projects” and “first stage projects”.
2. Initiate the complementary projects with external co-financing, if required.

Where: HEDKOM

When:
Phase 1: activity 1 and 2
Phase 2 and beyond: activity 3 and 4

The action is necessary to handle the complexity of such a large area with so many effects in a municipality, where resources are not plentiful. Furthermore, there are many possibilities and scenarios, and it can be difficult to move from ideas to scenarios and via decisions to concrete actions. In general, to keep up a dialogue on the long run between citizens, politicians, and other stakeholders to take sustainable solutions is difficult, but the C8 method is to involve all parties in an innovative process, empower stakeholders to take part in the right solution, and be part of the story of the local climate history.

There is a risk that stakeholders do not want to discuss the challenges and options and will not participate in the process. However, this will be dealt with by making the negative outcomes from climate challenges clear – thus, the scenarios. Furthermore, when the City Council has to decide, if stakeholders have not been involved, there is no basis for a decision. This is dealt with by ensuring the selected scenarios are highly clarified and clear. Finally, it must be ensured that the City Council and the stakeholders can endorse the pilot projects, which will be dealt with by creating an open and involving process.

C8.1: Phase 1: Thorough awareness among stakeholders in the project area (and beyond) of the consequences of climate change – on nature, biodiversity, tourism and landowner interests; Knowledge on the climate history of the area. Phase 2 and beyond: Thorough discussion on concrete scenarios, their implications and eventual solution. 800 hectares (net), 3500 hectares (brut) land screened.

C8.2: Thorough knowledge among stakeholders on how CCA is handeled in similar areas. Discussion among stakeholders on appropiate – and eventual – solutions to the challenges. 2,000-3,000 stakeholders involved in the process.

C8.3: Phase 2: Political engagement in the climate change challenges – in the City Council and outside. A choice of CCA solution, which is sustainable and takes into consideration the intersts of the stakeholders.

Expenses for direct personal costs are based on person days for HEDKOM personel based on present salaries and pensions, etc. For HEDKOM the total number of person-days per year is based on the basis of the total working hours/days according to national legislation, collective agreements, employment contracts, etc. – budgeted at 214 days per year. Expenses for external expert help is based on prior experience with external assistance to local projects in HEDKOM. This external help is necessary to help HEDKOM deliver the modelling. Estimations for expenses in Phase 2 and beyond take the same point of departure. No costs are allocated AU, as C24 will provide analyses etc. to C8 as part of its project.

C8.1

Phase 1:

• Report on three descriptive scenarios for the area’s development with different actions.
• Report on Cultural heritage description
• Report on landscape and natural values

Phase 2:

• Report on recomendations on the anrea's development for the City Council
• Development efforts divided into stages.
• Visualisation examples.
• 1-3 scenarios for the area’s development.
• At least one pilot project, which shows the option for action and the clearness of the effect.

Phase 3:

• Detailed proposal for first stage 
• Test project, wich test new solutions
• At least one project description ready for execution

C.8.2.

Phase 1:

• Report of each excursion and minutes
• Report from workshop

C.8.3.

Phase 1:

Phae 2:

• Report from citizen-politician workshop on descriptive scenarios
• Minutes on decisiond from City Council meeting

Phase 3:

• Project ideas selected and deselected
• Project ready to be executed

C8.1

Phase 1:
31/12/2018: Three overall descriptive scenarios finalised
31/12/2018: Cultural heritage description finalised
31/12/2018: One risk and value map finalised

Phase 2:
31/12/2020: 1-3 concrete scenarios for the area’s development finalised
31/12/2020: Visualisation of examples of projects from at least three project ready

Phase 3:
31/12/2021: Areas and project ideas selected
31/07/2022: Pilot project details prepared
31/12/2022: At least one projectp ready for physical construction construction

C.8.2.

Phase 2: 
31/12/2019: Report on stakeholders analysis and stakeholder s mapping ready

C.8.3

Phase 2:
31/12/2020: Citizen-politician workshop

Phase 3:
30/06/2022: Projects selected and deselected.