Effects of climate change on coastal hydrodynamics along the German Baltic Sea coast

The German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein is developing a Baltic Sea Coast 2100 strategy under the leadership of the Ministry for Energy Transition, Climate Protection, Environment and Nature. The aim of the strategy is a sustainable adaptation of the coastal region to climate change, taking into account the demands of nature conservation, tourism and coastal protection. Basis for this strategy is detailed information on the current status and possible future changes in coastal hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics, including morphological changes. In a joint research project from 2019 to 2023, the Institute of River and Coastal Engineering of Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) carried out model-based investigations to describe and analyze currents and transport processes along the entire Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein (greater than 400 km) for the current state as well as for possible future conditions, taking into account various scenarios for sea level rise and climate change-induced changes of wind conditions.