Ihobe brings together the main agents involved in adapting the Basque coastline to climate change

22/10/2024

The sea level along the Basque coast is anticipated to rise 26 cm by 2050, and between 51 cm and 1 metre by 2100. 

Coastal management and urban planning experts and managers gathered together at the 'Adaptation of the Basque Coastline as Defence Against Climate Change' conference in Bilbao to discuss how to face the effects of climate change on the Basque coast. 

During the conference, the 'Adaptation of the Coastline to Climate Change Through Urban Planning in the Basque Country' guide, prepared by Ihobe, was presented; it provides clear guidelines on how to integrate the climate component in the urban planning of the coastline.

The session, organised by LIFE Urban Klima 2050 and Ihobe, is part of ASTEKLIMA 2024, the Basque Climate and Energy Week, being held from 18 to 27 October.

Climate change is already affecting the Basque Country and is having its greatest impact on the coastal area where roughly 60% of the population live. The rising sea level, higher temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events have become a complex challenge that requires coordinated action.

In order to continue taking strides in that regard, this morning the Euskalduna Conference Centre in Bilbao hosted the 'Adaptation of the Basque Coastline as Defence Against Climate Change' conference, organised by Ihobe, the Basque Government's environmental management agency, and driven by the LIFE IP Urban Klima 2050 project. The conference is part of the V ASTEKLIMA, the Basque Climate and Energy Week, which is being held from 18 to 27 October.

During the conference, coastal management and urban planning experts and managers showcased the advances made to incorporate climate change in the policies, plans and strategies that concur in the regulation and planning of the Basque Country's coastline. The session was also the opportunity to present best practices and success stories regarding adaptation measures on the coast.

Alexander Boto, General Manager of Ihobe, opened the conference by stressing the Basque Country's commitment to coastal adaptation. He explained that "it is a priority, and we therefore have a consolidated network of knowledge generators, authorities, and - no less important - citizens who are aware of this phenomenon". Boto likewise pointed out the need to anticipate the effects of climate change by "implementing efficient adaptation and mitigation measure to counter the loss of diversity, the risks to health and permanent damage". 

Adapting the coastline and urban planning

The 'Adaptation of the Coastline to Climate Change Through Urban Planning in the Basque Country' guide, prepared by Ihobe, was presented during the conference. The document - the first of a collection - provides clear guidelines on how to integrate the climate component in the urban planning of the coastline, in order to improve the Basque Country's ability to adapt to the impacts of climate change. It is a practical guide for local authorities to include climate change in their approach, by focusing on nature-based solutions and on resilient urban planning.

The document's goals include integrating climate adaptation in the urban planning of the Basque coast; mitigating the impacts of the rising sea level and other effects of climate change in coastal areas; and improving the resilience of the territory by means of a pre-emptive approach in urban planning.

As the report explains, the Basque coast is facing the effects arising from climate change, which - according to current scenarios and forecasts - entail a series of progressive transformations to both the built environment and the natural environment. One of the most concerning aspects is the greater frequency and severity of extreme weather events leading to floods, altering the ecosystems or eroding the coastal area.

On top of this problem, there is the human influence in the development and industrialisation of the coast, and the concentration of population and infrastructures that have led to congestion there. There is also the great administrative fragmentation that hinders the implementation of effective management strategies. Consequently, the Basque Country is committed to anticipating and addressing adaptation and risk management to guarantee the security of the infrastructures, economic resources and the communities living in that area.

Therefore, according to the document, the role of spatial and urban planning is decisive. A path on which the Basque Country is already a trailblazer, as it has integrated the climate change perspective in its spatial and urban planning instruments. Accordingly, the Spatial Planning Guidelines (DOT) and the General Urban Development Plan (PGOU) of Bilbao have been revised, among others; and updates of the Partial Territorial Plan for the Functional Area of Metropolitan Bilbao (PTP BM), and the Sectorial Territorial Plan for the Coastline are being addressed.

The proposed strategy is based on three types of measures: structural, institutional and social. The first include engineering measures, nature-based solutions, applying discrete technologies, and the use of ecosystems and their services to meet adaptation needs. The institutional measures use economic instruments, laws, regulations and governmental policies and programmes to foster sustainable development. And, finally, social measures entail behavioural, informative and educational strategies in order to develop resilient communities. 

Adaptation projects in the Basque Country

The Basque Country has taken a step forward with its Energy Transition and Climate Change Act 1/2024, which establishes being climate neutral by 2050 and prioritises climate change mitigation and adaptation. Furthermore, the Basque Government and Ihobe, its environmental management agency, have clearly committed to adaptation and mitigation measures through LIFE IP Urban Klima 2050, whose pilot projects include intervention actions in the coastal area. Specifically, salt marshes are being created in urban areas in Bakio (Bizkaia) as flood protection; the Tonpoi natural area has been restored in Bermeo (Bizkaia); and measures to adapt to climate change and protect the urban waterfront in Zarautz (Gipuzkoa) have been analysed.

Other measures are, for example, to improve the early warning systems by means of videometrics, the rewilding of Txingudi Bay in conjunction with the Regions4Climate project, and the blue carbon studies that analyse the carbon absorption potential of the marine habitats.

Tools and cases applied to adapt the coast

The conference has also been the opportunity to showcase tools such as the Kostaegoki report - developed by Ihobe and focused in vulnerability and coastal risk - that provides information on the impact and risk of coastal flooding and erosion along the Basque coast. The data gathered by this tool already provide a vision of the future and estimate average sea level rises along the Basque coast of 26 cm by 2050 and of between 51 cm and 1 metre by 2100

The paper led by URA - the Basque Water Agency focused on managing the coastal flood risk by the Basque hydraulic administration. The Basque Government also presented the progress regarding the coastal Sectoral Territorial Plan, revised from the climate perspective to advance in a resilient and adapted territorial model. On the other hand, the Tecnalia study on the climate change adaptation of the coast was explained from the Basque urban planning approach. And finally, IHCantabria explained the Integrated Management of Coastal Areas as a key tool for climate adaptation.

The second part of the conference focused on showcasing best practices and success stories, such as the Regions4Climate Horizon project (Tuscany Region, Italy) that is developing innovative solutions for the climate resilience of coastal communities; the importance of dunes to protect the Orio coastal strip; marine monitoring and adaptation by AZTI; and the coastal adaptation measures and coordination with urban planning in Bakio; the success stories in the North Basque Country; adaptation measures in five protected areas of the Natura 2000 Network; coastal maritime conditions in the emergency warning system of the Euskalmet Emergency and Meteorological Services Directorate; and the study of coastal vulnerability in the Azores.