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Spiekeroog on the brink of extinction: climate change threatens our North Sea island!
Uelzen provides information about the effects of climate change on North Sea islands, especially Spiekeroog, and future risks.
Spiekeroog on the brink of extinction: climate change threatens our North Sea island!
In recent years, the issue of climate change has become increasingly pressing, and current studies show drastic forecasts for the future of our North Sea islands. HafenCity University Hamburg has carried out simulations that show that the East Frisian island of Spiekeroog could be the first to fall victim to rising sea levels. A report from az-online explains that even in the moderate scenario with a sea level rise of 47 cm, the island would lose significant land areas. And the worst case scenario even envisages a rise of 140 cm, which would result in hardly anything remaining of the island.
The location of Spiekeroog is particularly critical because many areas of the island are lower than neighboring islands such as Langeoog. Even if global temperatures rise by 1.8 degrees Celsius, parts of the island could be flooded, even if coastal protection measures are taken. According to forecasts, only the island town and the historic train station with the horse-drawn tram could soon rise above the water. The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) has already reported record water temperatures in the North Sea, which reached a new high since 1969 of 15.8 degrees in the summer of 2023, which further aggravates the situation.
Interactive Sea Level Map
To make the effects of sea level rise even more understandable, geodesy and geoinformatics scientists have developed an interactive web map. This visualizes the results of sea level rise and is below sealevelrise.hcu-hamburg.de available. It depicts various climate scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and shows the number of affected people in northern Germany. The map aims to provide an overview of the risks and impacts of climate change-related increases and is supervised by researchers such as Caroline Schuldt, Güren Tan Dinga and former HCU employee Philipp Loose.
The simulations predict worrying sea level rise by the year 2100. Not only the ecological aspects, but also the socio-economic impacts on coastal habitats are brought to the fore. Research at the HCU is already showing differences between the North and Baltic Sea coasts and between different climate scenarios, which makes a differentiated view of these challenges necessary. Climate change is already affecting many coastal landscapes and their ecosystem services.
The map's interactivity also allows users to identify land use classes at risk of flooding, such as residential, industrial and agricultural areas. The research team will continue to work on updating this data to refine projections and inform the public about these vital issues.
Overall, it is clear that climate change and rising sea levels pose serious threats to our coastal regions. The situation in Spiekeroog is symptomatic of the challenges that await us in the coming decades. There is an urgent need for action to protect the coasts and stabilize the affected areas.