Expanding mitigation to include adaptation in dealing with climate change, enables a holistic view that can combat previous negative social, environmental, and economic impacts and result in both climate resilient and more liveable places to live. Over the next 15-20 years, Denmark will spend more than EUR 5 billion on adapting its cities to climate changes.
In response to the urgent need for protecting coastal areas, cities, homes, and infrastructure against the consequences of climate change, the Danish Government presents a new plan to ramp up national climate adaptation.
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In the summer of 2011, Copenhagen experienced the most destructive cloudburst in the city's history. While the event was damaging, it also became the catalyst for a new way of approaching urban water management. Building on this experience, the public and private sector in Denmark has developed numerous solutions, know-how and expertise to adapt the unpredictable extreme weather events of the future.
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Danish urban planning is witnessing a shift from a “people-centric” to a “life-centric” approach, recognising planetary boundaries and life in all its diversity. Download our white paper on urban green transition and get inspiration on how to transform cities for a new reality.
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Nature Based Solutions (NBS) are measures that encapsulate the notion of water as a resource. NBS support a triple bottom line of planet, profit and people, where the aim is to heighten urban resiliency. Download the publication to see the full list.
Discover the publicationCities around the world increasingly face the adverse effects of climate change, including rising sea levels, climbing temperatures, longer periods of drought and stronger storms. When combining these phenomena with the challenges of increasing urbanisation and the fact that most cities have extensive areas of impervious surfaces, the need for rethinking urban development is clear.
Well-planned climate change adaptation initiatives reduce social, environmental, and economic costs caused by climate change. This includes reducing the risk of flooding and making sure that proper measures for coastal protection are in place. An integrated approach to climate change adaptation, urban development and urban water management is cost-efficient and allows for rainwater to be used as a resource to create more liveable and climate-resilient cities.
In Denmark, the most urgent challenges caused by climate change are extreme rain events and rising sea levels.
In this podcast episode of Sound of Green, we tell the story of how a historic cloudburst changed the city of Copenhagen and explore how urban water management can build more resilient cities and liveable cities.
Learn more about the episodeOver the next 15-20 years, Denmark will invest heavily in adapting its cities to climate change. The aim is to combine climate change adaptation with urban development and gain greater value from investments. Instead of expanding the underground sewage system, municipalities and water utilities are collaborating on making dual-purpose solutions. Surplus water can be led to structures above the surface such as green beds, canals or lakes around the city. In addition to increasing the stormwater drainage capacity, these solutions create recreational areas, which help to cool the city, increase biodiversity, and result in more urban areas with improved liveability.
The close collaboration between multiple stakeholders has brought Denmark to the forefront of research, technology development, know-how and best-practice in adapting to climate change. Danish experience shows that an integrated approach to climate adaptation is cost-efficient and creates added value for cities.
Furthermore, with a decision to augment the official development aid (ODA) budget for climate finance to 30 percent, with 60 percent specifically directed towards climate adaptation, Denmark signifies their unwavering dedication to global climate resilience.
By combining climate adaptation measures with exciting urban development, nature-based solutions can contribute to making cities not only more resilient to climate change but also more attractive places to live. The best examples of nature-based solutions success in solving more than one problem at the same time. Holistic solutions, however, require close collaboration between authorities, water utilities, organisations, private businesses, and individuals.
Denmark has a long tradition of such collaborations and we are proud of our results and solutions. Standing on the shoulders of this heritage, we are eager to share our experiences and lessons learned with other countries.
Dive into our digital visualisation of Denmark’s water value chain, and discover companies and organizations specialising in water-related technology, research, and innovation.
From water treatment and supply to wastewater management and environmental conservation, the Danish water sector encompasses it all.
Discover solution providers throughout Denmark’s water value chain.
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