ALBERT

Description: The impact of climate change on European society is an issue of increasing concern on the agenda of European regional development policy. Using sea-level rise and changing flood-prone areas as an example of climate-change impact, this paper reviews an approach to stakeholder communication developed in the Baltic Sea Region. The application of climate- and sea-level change scenarios in spatial planning, as well as the communication between scientists and stakeholders, was integrated into a set of tools called the decision support frame' (DSF), which focuses especially on uncertainty aspects. By specifically addressing the communication process the DSF distances itself from pure computer-based decision-making. The city of Gda[n]sk is a good example where a combination of climate-change models, maps and various discussion rounds led to a communication process that has integrated several planning authorities and decision-makers.