Geographic characteristics of the Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein

Horst Sterr und Sandra Enderwitz AG Küstengeographie

• Baltic Sea Basin shaped by glaciers• northern BSR still undergoing uplift• southern BSR slight subsidence trend• southern Baltic coasts: soft rocks• easily erodible material

• interchange of cliff sections and low‐ lying bays with sandy beaches

• Germany‘s coast exposed to north‐

easterly winds and waves

• limited water exchange with North Sea

• sensible brackish water ecosystem• river influx resulting in eutrophication 

and subsequent algae blooms with

• local oxygen deficiencies 

Gunilla Kaiser

• Coastal population: ca. 4 Mio. • Damage potential by storm surges: ca. 35 billion € (viewpoint of insurance companies)

• Yearly budget for storm surge and coastal protection: 100 mio. €

1.340 (85%)

3.7002.110

Total

1.900560 (27%)Coastline (km) protected

1.590Coastline (km) total

Baltic SeaNorth Sea

Gesamt

Borkum JuistNorderneyBaltrum

Langeoog

SpiekeroogWangerooge

Jadebusen

Dollart

Scharhörn

Neuwerk

Helgoland

Elbästuar

Eidersperrwerk

NordstrandPellworn

Sylt

FöhrAmrum

Emden

Oldenburg

Wilhelmshaven

Bremen

Bremerhaven

Weserästuar

Cuxhaven

Flensburg

SchleswigNords

ee

Kiel

Hamburg

Lüneburg

Kieler Bucht

Nor

dfrie

sisc

heIn

seln

Inseln

Weser

Elbe

Rostock

Stralsund

Rügen

Greifswald

UsedomLübeck

Lübeck

er Bu

cht

Fehmarn

Poel

Schwerin

Ostsee

Mecklenburger

BuchtGreifswalder

Wismar

Bodden

Borkum JuistNorderneyBaltrum

Langeoog

SpiekeroogWangerooge

Jadebusen

Dollart

Scharhörn

Neuwerk

Helgoland

Elbästuar

Eidersperrwerk

NordstrandPellworn

Sylt

FöhrAmrum

Emden

Oldenburg

Wilhelmshaven

Bremen

Bremerhaven

Weserästuar

Cuxhaven

Flensburg

Schleswig

North

Sea

Kiel

Hamburg

Lüneburg

Kieler Bucht

Nor

dfrie

sisc

heIn

seln

Ostfriesisch

e Inseln

Weser

Elbe

Rostock

Stralsund

Rügen

Greifswald

UsedomLübeck

Lübeck

er Bu

cht

Fehmarn

Poel

Schwerin

Baltic Sea

Mecklenburger

BuchtGreifswalder

Wismar

Bodden

Coastline characteristics

Wadden Sea, tidal coast

Sandy, non- tidal coast

Kiel Bay

Baltic Sea

Hamburg

DenmarkNorth Sea

Germany

Kiel

• majority of S‐H population lives at the coast• most cliffs and beaches under erosion• climate change enhances eroding trend• coastal tourism = dominant economic sector 

(many seaside resorts, local recreation sites)  • CC‐warming trend favours seaside tourism• CC‐trend: negative effects on water & beach 

quality• coastal protection strategies need improve‐

ment, especially for coastal cities

Brodtener Ufer

/ cliff near Brodten

Cliff and beach coast near Heiligenhafen

Natural coastal wetland formation near Laboe

Holiday resort Niendorf /Timmendorf in Lübeck Bay

Beach resort area Kalifornien (Schönberg), northeast of Kiel 

Typical beach profile; mixed sand and gravel

Ship/ferry pier at Schönberger Strand, northeast of Kiel

Bottsand Spit and Marina Wentorf, northeast of Kiel

Low‐lying coastal areas at risk from flooding, 

North Sea = below  5m GOL ;Baltic Sea  = below  3m GOL

Flood risk and coastal protection in S‐H

West Coast:Length:

553 km State dike:

364 kmOther Dikes: 44 km2. dikeline:594 km 

East Coast:Length:

637 kmState dike:

67 kmOD + SD:

52 km

The area, in which processes 

relevant for coastal defence 

may occur. terrestrial: < GOL +5 mmarine: > GOL ‐10 m

GOL = German Ordnance level

Risk of flooding – historic records:Storm surge levels higher than 3,0 m above Mean Water = one eventStorm surge levels higher than 2,0 m above Mean Water = rareStorm surge levels  higher than 1,5 m above Mean Water = infrequentStorm surge levels  higher than 1,2 m above Mean Water = frequent

Recurrence intervals of storm surge water levels at Travemünde

00,5

11,5

22,5

33,5

44,5

5

0,01 0,1 1 10 100 1000

intervals of recurrence in years

met

er a

bove

MSL

Under a 1,0 m sea level rise scenario, the frequency of strong storm floods (> 2m above present MW) will increase from a centennial to an annual occurrence

Future risks of flooding

November 1995, M.V.

27/28.08.1989 in Marina 

Wendtorf

Destruction of coastal  touristic infrastructure (restaurant) near Kiel 

Hot spots

of risks

in the

German coastal

zone

Hot spots of risk

Coastal defence (S-H)

(Public) obligation

for

coastal

defence

=

Protection

against

flooding, mainly

by

dikes

hardly

any

protection

against

erosion

and land loss

Existing

gaps

and loopholes

=

• coastal

cities, where

dikes

are

missing, are

weak

spots• distribution

of responsibilities

and costs

not

consistent

• do nothing

or

retreat

perhaps

future

options

under

CC

How

can

/ will communities

react

?

Integrated risk management

Integrative risk management combines structural and  non‐structural measures

Structural measures•

flood defence, dikes

•

Beach nourishment•

Early warning systems

•

Building codes

Non‐structural measures•

Communication, information

•

Participation•

Disaster management

•

Recovery•

insurance

Kiel Bay Climate Alliance aims at improving the efficiency of such measures