Klimawandel und Küste: Zeit zur Anpassung?! (Climate Change and Coast: Time for Adaptation?!)

Global climate change will manifest itself on the German North Sea coast not only in an accelerated rise of sea level but also in rising temperatures, an altered distribution of precipitation and wind as well as higher CO2 levels. In spite of uncertainties regarding the type and scope of such changes, possible impacts have to be investigated in order to enable preventive (adaptive) action to be taken. To analyse the vulnerability of a region, it is necessary to analyse the interactions of all climate parameters with both natural and social systems as well as the adaptation capacity of the latter.