Risk assessment (Design)

Data from coastDat were used for risk assessment in several ways. Return periods of extreme wind speed, surge and wave heights are used by a variety of users involved the design of for example, offshore wind farms. Planning of such farms is supported by estimating probabilities of weather windows; that is, for example the probability of an extended period with wave heights below a given threshold to enable installation.

Design and planning of marine structures require long environmental data sets that are often unavailable. Data from coastDat were used complementary in many design and planning studies such as for example, planning of the Fehmarn Belt crossing, planning and design of coastal protection structures at the Dune island of Helgoland, or for planning dredging activities.

In the coming decades coastal climate is expected to change as a consequence of rising anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations. In particular, rising mean sea levels and potential changes in wind, wave and storm surge climate may require adaptation to keep risks constant and manageable. Such adaptations may comprise land-use changes or engineering measures. Data from coastDat have been used in evaluating adaptation strategies showing in particular, that generic strategies such as to retreat or to accommodate are not generally useful but that individual case studies are urgently needed (Weisse et al., 2012) and that innovative multipurpose strategies are needed, in particular in heavily anthropgenically influenced areas under multiple pressures (Sothmann et al., 2011)

Furthermore data from coastDat were used by a re-insurance company to assess potential increases in coastal flood damages in Northern Europe due to future anthropogenic climate change concluding that adapting land use planning and strengthening of sea defences are the prerequisites for keeping the residual risk constant and manageable.

Swiss Re Focus Report, 2009, The effects of climate change an increase in coastal flood damage in northern Europe.