Spiekeroog in danger: climate change lets the island sink into the sea!

Spiekeroog in danger: climate change lets the island sink into the sea!

Spiekeroog, Deutschland - The North Sea island of Spiekeroog faces a serious threat due to the effects of climate change and the increasing sea level. According to reports from

It is particularly worrying that in the worst scenario only the island town and the Hermann Lietz School remained visible, while the Hellerpad would be partly flooded. The Reichelwiesen and the train station of the historic railway would be completely devoured from the sea. Similar, albeit less drastic, effects can also be expected for the area around the island of Norderney, especially in the entire eastern part and around the airport, where the land loss would not be so serious.

to meet these challenges, Christian Meyer, the Lower Saxony Environment Minister, emphasized the tangible consequences of the climate crisis and emphasized the urgency of coastal protection measures. There is also an increased risk of flooding due to climate change in East Frisia. Here around 1.2 million residents are protected against floods, locks and pumps, such as Deutschesklimaportal reported.

A new project called Wakos (water on the coasts of East Frisia) was initiated to determine the future protection needs. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research will provide 2.3 million euros for this. The project is coordinated by the Helmholtz Center Geesthacht (HZG) in cooperation with several partners, including the Lower Saxony State Operations for Water Management, Coastal and Nature Conservation (NLWKN-FSK) as well as universities in Hamburg, Oldenburg and the Jade Hochschule.

climate research and regional measures

The goal of the Wakos project is the combination of coastal protection and internal drainage. Earlier research projects in the region have already provided valuable knowledge about the effects of climate change. As part of the current project, climate models are created that simulate the possible temperature increases between 1.5 and 4 degrees Celsius and their effects on storm surges and seagang.

A social science part examines the information needs of the locals and jointly develops strategies for the future. In addition, the University of Oldenburg leads an investigation into the changes in fresh water deposits and its influence on water supply. The Jade University is also active by leading a work package to improve regional water balance and water management models.

Overall, these initiatives underline the need to adapt to the challenges of climate change and to effectively protect the coastal region. Therefore, the question of how the loss of the country and habitat can be reduced in the coming decades is of crucial importance.