How One German City Plans to Challenge Climate Extremes

In October 2023, a powerful storm surge hit the Baltic Sea coast, causing extensive damage in northern Germany and southern Denmark. The storm surge in Kiel, the capital of Schleswig-Holstein, erased 2.68 meters (8.79 feet) of coastal bluff, four times the average loss over the past two decades. Climate change exacerbates extreme weather events like storms, making the consequences particularly acute for coastal cities like Kiel.

Kiel, a city that declared a climate emergency in 2019, is proactively addressing the impacts of climate change. The city has established a climate adaptation division led by Martina Baum to enhance resilience to weather extremes. Baum emphasizes that adaptation is not a replacement for reducing fossil fuel emissions, but rather a complementary measure to limit future damage.

The city is implementing a range of adaptation strategies, including redesigning public spaces to improve natural cooling and enhancing the city's capacity to manage stormwater. Kiel is also conducting research on tree species that can withstand future climate conditions, realizing that this process may take decades to yield tangible results. Residents will need to adapt their daily lives to the changing climate, such as adjusting the timing of outdoor activities due to rising temperatures.

Educational initiatives are also critical to fostering public understanding and engagement with climate adaptation. Annafried Stürmer, a climate advocate in Kiel, organizes events and public excursions to help people grasp the implications of climate change and the importance of adaptation measures. By making these topics more relatable, such as discussing the risks of flooding to individual homes, Stürmer hopes to encourage broader societal engagement in addressing climate change.