Climate change has consequences on the safety and living conditions of people, nature, business and the important functions of society. With the adaptation measures and by preparing, we can decrease the inevitable and harmful consequences of climate change, such as flood damage. Emission levels have a direct impact on adaptation, on how we prepare for a major change. That is why we are interested in both adapting to climate change and its mitigation. The adaptation measures are also the most cost-effective in the early stages.
Phenomena that require adaptation in Lahti
The phenomena/threats selected for adaptation in Lahti:
- Increase in temperature (increase 2.9–8.2 degrees in Lahti, depending on the scenario)
- Increase in precipitation (+5–35%/month, depending on the scenario)
- Windstorms (increase in the wind velocity of major storms already evident)
- Record heat waves
- Heavy rainfall
The phenomena have been selected in a broad working group based on the information provided by the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
Over 90 measures for preparing and adapting to climate change
Lahti’s adaptation measures are governed by Lahti’s Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan which has been drawn up as a part of the 2030 EU Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy. The Plan outlines over 90 measures for preparing or adapting to climate change. The measures are diverse and include stormwater management, developing traffic and increasing the awareness of citizens, for example.