DIRECTED advances making existing data and models more interoperable for the Capital Region of Denmark – Real World Lab
Are the responsible authorities around Roskilde Fjord ready and equipped to handle a massive storm surge in 2050 and if not, what needs to be done in order for them to be? That was the underlying theme of a workshop held at the Real World Lab in the Capital Region of Denmark.
On the 20th of August 2024, a second stakeholder’s workshop took place at the Capital Region of Denmark Real World Lab. The workshop took place in Hillerød, Denmark and was led by the Capital Region of Denmark and the Danish Technical University (DTU). The workshop brought together local climate adaptation and disaster risk management practitioners from five municipalities around Roskilde fjord, their respective emergency services as well as representatives from The Danish Emergency Management Agency and the Danish Region of Sjaelland.
The workshop followed a series of interviews conducted in spring 2024, which helped the Capital Region of Denmark and the Danish Technical University (DTU) gain a deeper understanding of the local context, needs, and challenges faced by municipalities and emergency services around Roskilde Fjord. This area, home to DIRECTED’s Danish Real World Lab, was chosen due to the significant impact of Storm Bodil (also known as Storm ‚Xaver‘ in Germany or ‚Sven‘ in Sweden) in December 2013. As Bodil swept through Denmark with hurricane-force winds, water levels in Roskilde Fjord surged over two meters, causing widespread flooding in multiple municipalities. Some of the lessons learned from this event are captured in the testimonies of municipalities and emergency responders, gathered through the Real World Lab spring interviews.
The workshop, held in August 2024, began with a presentation by the Danish Technical University (DTU) on the potential consequences of a storm surge event in 2050, similar to Storm Bodil, but under a worst-case sea level rise scenario. Following this, participants were presented with key findings from the spring interviews and invited to take part in a prioritization exercise aimed at identifying the most urgent needs and challenges they wished the DIRCTED project to address. After the exercise, participants engaged in a visioning and co-creation process, imagining how current challenges could be resolved by 2050 and brainstorming the opportunities and actions needed to achieve this desired future.
Quote: Jacob Pedersen, Special Consultant for climate adaptation, at the Capital Region of Denmark said „The aim of the workshop was to pass from the initial phase of identifying challenges and needs in the Real World Lab to a period where we start to focus on the solutions. I feel we achieved that”.
DIRECTED workshop on August 20th, 2024. Photo: Jacob Pedersen – Region Hovedstaden
Only a couple of weeks after the second DIRECTED workshop, Denmark announced the establishment of a new Ministry for Social Security and Emergency Preparedness, aimed at strengthening the country’s resilience against crises such as extreme weather events. The new ministry will coordinate efforts across various sectors to enhance national preparedness with a focus on crisis management. These recent developments emphasize the relevance of the DIRECTED Project, and its mission to reduce vulnerability to extreme weather events and foster disaster-resilient European societies by promoting interoperability of data, models, communication and governance on all levels and between all actors of the disaster risk management and climate adaptation efforts.
After the workshop, the DIRECTED Project hopes to be able to assist the Capital Region of Denmark Real World Lab by making existing data and models more interoperable and by setting up a “Data Fabric” to facilitate information and data sharing among local stakeholders. The project also offers an opportunity to enhance existing communication practices among climate adaptation and disaster risk management practitioners and provides the Real World Lab stakeholders a discussion forum, promoting dialogue and knowledge exchange.
For more information about the Capital Region of Denmark Real World Lab please contact:
Jacob Pedersen, Special Consultant – jacob.pedersen.01@regionh.dk
Arnau Macià Pou, Consultant – arnau.macia.pou@regionh.dk For further information about the DIRECTED project, please contact: info@directedproject.eu
Featured Image Photo Credit: Storm surge in Roskilde Harbor – Photo: John Stick – Colourbox