Germany's North Sea coast 'most affected by climate change'
Germany’s North Coast region is the most affected by climate change within the country, according to a new analysis.
The German fundraising platform RaiseNow analysed a total of 1.5 million data points on temperature increase, weather extremes, tree canopy decline and air quality in Germany’s 16 national parks, which are spread throughout all regions of the country.
The coastal regions on the North Sea, a popular holiday destination during the spring and summer, are significantly more affected by the rise in temperature than the inland parks, they found.
The Wadden Sea (tidal flats) in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany’s northernmost state, is the most endangered national park in the country, according to the analysis.
READ ALSO: Climate change 'the biggest worry' for people in Germany
It is followed by Saxon Switzerland, Kellerwald-Edersee in Hesse, and the Harz and Bavarian Forest National Parks - all popular destinations for day-trippers and long distance hikers.
Perhaps the most famous region named after Switzerland, Germany's Saxon Switzerland. By Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27758134
The least endangered was the mountainous Berchtesgaden National Park in southern Germany.
The average temperature increase over the last 40 years in the national parks has been 1.6C, which is above the 1.5 degree target set by the Paris Climate Agreement.
Schleswig-Holstein’s Wadden Sea measures the highest increase with 2.4C, while the Hamburg Wadden Sea comes second with 2.2C and the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea third with 2.1C in this category.
By comparison, an increase of 2.1C was measured at the Baltic Sea and the least affected was the Black Forest with 0.8C.
READ ALSO: How climate change is threatening Germany's forests
According to data from the German Weather Service, extreme weather events have increased by 15 percent in the national parks over the last 20 years.
The coastal regions of the North Sea and Baltic Sea are most frequently affected by weather extremes.
Overall, the parks on the Baltic Sea (Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft and Jasmund) performed significantly better than those on the North Sea coast.
With a temperature increase of 1.5C, Germany’s coasts are expected to see an average sea level rise of 79 mm (an increase of 650 percent) by 2150.
“This forecast may not sound too dangerous at first, but it does raise the question: will we be able to maintain a temperature rise of 1.5C?,” wrote RaiseNow in a statement.
In recent months, Germany has seen a number of weather extremes in recent months, with March bringing in a historically high amount of rainfall.
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The German fundraising platform RaiseNow analysed a total of 1.5 million data points on temperature increase, weather extremes, tree canopy decline and air quality in Germany’s 16 national parks, which are spread throughout all regions of the country.
The coastal regions on the North Sea, a popular holiday destination during the spring and summer, are significantly more affected by the rise in temperature than the inland parks, they found.
The Wadden Sea (tidal flats) in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany’s northernmost state, is the most endangered national park in the country, according to the analysis.
READ ALSO: Climate change 'the biggest worry' for people in Germany
It is followed by Saxon Switzerland, Kellerwald-Edersee in Hesse, and the Harz and Bavarian Forest National Parks - all popular destinations for day-trippers and long distance hikers.
The least endangered was the mountainous Berchtesgaden National Park in southern Germany.
The average temperature increase over the last 40 years in the national parks has been 1.6C, which is above the 1.5 degree target set by the Paris Climate Agreement.
Schleswig-Holstein’s Wadden Sea measures the highest increase with 2.4C, while the Hamburg Wadden Sea comes second with 2.2C and the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea third with 2.1C in this category.
By comparison, an increase of 2.1C was measured at the Baltic Sea and the least affected was the Black Forest with 0.8C.
READ ALSO: How climate change is threatening Germany's forests
According to data from the German Weather Service, extreme weather events have increased by 15 percent in the national parks over the last 20 years.
The coastal regions of the North Sea and Baltic Sea are most frequently affected by weather extremes.
Overall, the parks on the Baltic Sea (Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft and Jasmund) performed significantly better than those on the North Sea coast.
With a temperature increase of 1.5C, Germany’s coasts are expected to see an average sea level rise of 79 mm (an increase of 650 percent) by 2150.
“This forecast may not sound too dangerous at first, but it does raise the question: will we be able to maintain a temperature rise of 1.5C?,” wrote RaiseNow in a statement.
In recent months, Germany has seen a number of weather extremes in recent months, with March bringing in a historically high amount of rainfall.
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