The EU provides 26.6 million euros, or around 273 million kroner for a completely new climate project. “Resist” will improve the ability of local communities to stop and counteract climate challenges in the future. – What Europe needs to meet climate change is more research where societies have a direct effect from the research, says research manager Odd Are Svensen in Sintef. The project is the largest ever where a Norwegian player has led in the EU, if one disregards the coronary vaccine project. – Now Sintef and its partners in Norway have a large EU project where we will look at the effect of climate change that is happening in Europe, he says. The research institution Sintef will lead 56 partners across Europe to better visualize and explain the climate impact to the government. – We want to enable them to make better decisions. We can build technology and ways to become more resilient to future climate change, he says. A total of 12 European regions have been identified as critical in relation to climate change. One of them is Vesterålen in Nordland. Three-dimensional model to show climate change Vesterålen was selected as one of the regions. The reason is that they have already begun to look at the effects that climate change could have on the local community. This is especially true with regard to higher sea levels, more extreme weather and increased temperatures in the sea. One who is satisfied with the award is project manager Ane Høyem in GaiaVesterålen. – It’s completely crazy !, she says and continues: – We have worked with this for several years already. We are located right by the sea, we are vulnerable to climate change, and it is important that we use the time to adapt, says Høyem. They have already built a digital model over a small section of Vesterålen. Here they will be able to show changes in, for example, sea level in the future. – What can you see? – Everything. It shows how climate change will affect us here in Vesterålen. Among other things, we will be able to see how the sea level and different forecasts will turn out. We know, according to the UN Climate Panel, that sea levels could rise by 50 centimeters to about two meters over the next 50-100 years. 12 vulnerable regions It is not only in Vesterålen that the project will take place. In 12 other regions in countries in the EU, there will be a similar project. Among others in Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Finland, Italy and Greece. – We will collaborate on knowledge sharing, innovation and system development that allows us to adapt to climate change. The 12 regions have an important role to play in stopping climate change and pursuing climate adaptation, says Høyem. The regions selected in Greece and Portugal have several of the same challenges as Vesterålen. It is primarily sea level rise and weather changes. In other regions such as Denmark, Sweden and Finland, they need to look more closely at drought. Research director Odd Are Svensen at Sintef hopes GaiaVesterålen’s digital twin can be used to show the effects of climate change in other parts of the world as well. Photo: Lars-Bjørn Martinsen / news – Common to these regions is that we want to use technology to manage to make societies better and that they should learn across. What, for example, Vesterålen has developed is a good digital twin. It explains effects on society, and is also used elsewhere, Svensen explains in Sintef. – I think this can put us at the forefront of the green shift. Now they will further develop the model to apply to more and larger areas. In the future, it will be able to include more data to be able to show the physical effects of climate change and the measures that will counteract them. In addition to developing the three-dimensional model, they are also planning an Arctic climate conference and an environmental contract with local residents. Project manager Ane Høyem in GaiaVesterålen is one of several who will work on the project. Photo: Lars-Bjørn Martinsen – Firstly, it is great news that we have been involved in bringing the largest research project to Norway ever from the EU. We believe that it can put us at the forefront and in the forefront of the green shift. Right now, those involved are working to get ready for start-up from January 2023. The goal is for them to come up with 100 concrete measures for how to adapt to climate change.
ttn-69
The EU gives a record sum to Norwegian-led Sintef research on adaptation to climate change – news Nordland
