Climate resilience and risk management in the Baltic Sea Region context

Climate change impacts in the Baltic Sea Region are already clearly visible, and extensive adaptation work is underway, particularly in larger cities. Policy Areas Secure and Nutri gathered policy messages from ongoing projects funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme and drafted a joint statement for the EU’s open consultation on a new European climate resilience framework. The consultation sought to establish a more ambitious, comprehensive and coherent EU approach to climate resilience and preparedness, covering both individual Member States and the EU as a whole. Although the framework is intended for the entire EU, it is important to highlight the challenges and experiences emerging from macroregional and local levels.

Issues raised from the Baltic Sea Region

Several projects are currently addressing different aspects of climate resilience in the Baltic Sea Region. The ClimaResponse project supports local authorities in reducing climate and disaster risks, improving their response to extreme weather events and strengthening long-term regional climate resilience. The project particularly focuses on strengthening the capacity of smaller coastal municipalities, which often face significant climate risks but have limited technical and administrative resources for planning and preparedness. By developing practical tools and approaches tailored to their needs, the project helps translate EU-level policy ambitions into actionable local measures.

The ClimaResponse-project identified three policy actions that would enhance risk awareness and preparedness for climate change impacts:

• Make “resilience/preparedness by design” mandatory in EU and national funding and procurement
• Create harmonised, cross-sector climate–DRR risk assessments with clearly defined “risk owners”
• Scale up “whole-of-society” preparedness through trusted risk communication and joint training.

Further results and policy messages from ClimaResponse can be found in their responses to the consultation.

The CityBlues project highlighted that although the European Climate Law requires Member States to make progress on climate adaptation, practical implementation remains highly fragmented. Cities and municipalities are responsible for concrete, place-based adaptation work, yet many—particularly smaller municipalities—continue to struggle with limited technical, financial, and administrative capacity.

CityBlues also emphasized that nature-based solutions (NBS) should be treated as core risk‑reduction infrastructure rather than optional add-ons. NBS should be planned from a catchment-scale perspective, distributed across the entire catchment, and integrated with existing grey infrastructure instead of being installed as isolated, site‑specific measures. When well planned, nature‑based systems:

• effectively reduce pluvial and fluvial flood risks, mitigate urban heat stress, improve water quality and prevent biodiversity loss when designed for catchment-level performance rather than narrow site-level optimization
• are often more cost-effective and adaptable over time than grey infrastructure alone, especially when existing green and blue areas are preserved and enhanced as part of the solution.

From Policy Area Nutri’s perspective the Baltic Sea Region is still having big challenges with pollution, so all opportunities to improve water quality should be utilised, given their crucial importance for the health of the marine environment and the resilience of coastal communities.

Why a joint statement?

Contributions from the projects to the joint statement raised issues that are especially relevant for the Region as a whole. With a joint statement also projects that are not only focused on climate resilience still got a chance to contribute towards the policy development at the EU-level and their recommendations heard.

The joint statement had two parts. The answers to the questions in the consultation were provided by ClimaResponse, while other contributions from several projects were sent as a separate package. All contributing projects were:

ClimaResponse – Responsive Local Action for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction (contributions included to consultation questions)
CityBlues – Bluegreen nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and citizen wellbeing
Nursecoast II – Model nutrients reduction solutions in near-coast touristic areas
ReNutriWater – Closing local water circuits by recirculating nutrients and water and using them in nature

Materials sent to the consultation:

Answers to consultation questions by ClimaResponse-project
Other project contributions

If you become aware of an EU consultation where your input could make a difference, we warmly encourage you to reach out to the Policy Area coordinators working on the topic. New joint statements currently in preparation will also be published on the EUSBSR website.

Climate resilience and risk management in the Baltic Sea Region context

Issues raised from the Baltic Sea Region

Why a joint statement?

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