A recent climate risk assessment shows that heavy rainfall, heatwaves, drought and the deterioration of the natural environment are the most significant climate risks in Southwest Finland. According to the assessment, almost all identified climate risks will intensify as climate change progresses, and none of the known risk factors are expected to decrease.
The assessment was prepared in broad cooperation led by the Regional Council of Southwest Finland and Valonia.
Climate change threatens health, agriculture and the Archipelago Sea
The most serious climate risks identified in the assessment are heavy rainfall, heatwaves, drought and the deterioration of the natural environment. In the region, these risks are already visible particularly in the built environment and agriculture.
Heavy rainfall is already causing challenges, especially in stormwater management, as the capacity of existing systems and solutions for water infiltration and retention are insufficient. Increasing precipitation also adds to the long-term moisture load on buildings.
The clay soils typical of Southwest Finland are sensitive to both drought and heavy rainfall: when dry, the soil hardens, preventing water from infiltrating and increasing the risk of flooding and erosion, as well as making cultivation more difficult.
Drought and heat increase risks for agriculture and health
Drought poses a particular challenge for agriculture in Southwest Finland. The region has been identified as an area at risk of drought, and farmers already experience crop losses almost annually. In the future, fields will increasingly face either too little or too much water.
The situation is further complicated by drought periods occurring more frequently in spring and early summer, when crops require the most water.
Longer and more intense heatwaves also pose health risks that current building stock and urban structure are not sufficiently prepared for.
The state of the Archipelago Sea is deteriorating
In the Archipelago Sea, warming and increased runoff are weakening the state of the natural environment. Cyanobacterial blooms may last longer, nutrient loading will increase, and species vital to the marine ecosystem may decline.
These impacts also affect people’s daily lives and regional livelihoods, including agriculture, tourism and fisheries.
The assessment supports adaptation work
The climate risk assessment supports the update of the Southwest Finland Climate Roadmap, where adaptation to climate change is being strongly integrated. In addition to practical adaptation measures, continuing emission reductions remains essential.
– The impacts of climate change can no longer be fully prevented, but we can prepare for them proactively. The risk assessment provides municipalities and other actors in Southwest Finland with a shared knowledge base for targeting adaptation measures where they are most needed, says Regional Mayor Jyri Arponen.
The assessment was prepared as part of the CLIVAS project and is based on research data, climate risk analyses and expert knowledge. A wide range of stakeholders participated in the work, including municipalities, public authorities, research institutes and other expert organisations. Separate workshops were also organised for residents and experts.
– There is a great deal of research data on climate risks, but we wanted to include the perspectives of regional stakeholders as well. Experts from different fields and local residents were invited to contribute so that the assessment would reflect the situation in Southwest Finland as accurately as possible, now and in the future, says Project Specialist Otto Lappalainen from Valonia.
More information
Otto Lappalainen
Project Specialist, Valonia
otto.lappalainen@valonia.fi
+358 40 554 7513
