This wrap-up has been compiled by the Programme
Priority 2 Water-Smart societies
Objective 2.1 Sustainable waters
BEACH-SOS:
Wrap-up of project achievements
The Baltic coastline is under growing pressure from climate change: erosion, biodiversity loss, heatwaves and stronger storms threaten beaches, dunes, harbours and towns. Through the Interreg project BEACH-SOS, municipalities, environmental organisations and tourism experts from Denmark, Germany and Latvia joined forces to turn scientific evidence and local wishes into practical action plans for more climate-resilient and thriving coastal and beach areas.
Highlights
BEACH-SOS
Highlights
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The project BEACH-SOS strengthened the capacity of coastal authorities to adapt to climate change and support sustainable tourism development through transnational cooperation. It brought together NGOs, coastal municipalities, tourist organisations, and research organisations from Denmark, Germany, and Latvia to assess climate-related risks in coastal areas and co-create shared long-term visions for resilient coastal tourism development.
Together, these elements form a replicable model of coastal adaptation that combines science, governance, and citizen engagement.
In short, the project created:
- Coastal Climate Change Adaptation Pathways. A Practical Guide to Support the Development of Local Climate Change Adaptation Plans
- Climate-Smart Community Action Plan for Saulkrasti (Latvia)
- Recommendation for Climate Smart Indicators and criteria for resilient beaches
- Interactive Storymap “Measuring Climate Change in coastal municipalities”
- Educational material for children “Get to know the Climate with Anna”
Project
Details
Project type
Small project
Project duration
August 2023 – July 2025
Contribution to the EUSBSR
PA Tourism
PA Spatial Planning
Budget in million
EURO
Involved
Countries
Lead partner
Project partners
Project Details
Project type
Small project
Project duration
August 2023 – July 2025
Contribution to the EUSBSR
PA Tourism
PA Spatial Planning
Budget in million EURO
0.5 total // 0.4 ERDF // 0.0 Norway
Involved Countries
Lead Partner: Germany
Project Partners: Denmark // Latvia // Germany
Coastal Climate Change Adaptation Pathways
Best practice guidance for advanced wastewater treatment
Developed by coastal communities from Denmark, Germany, and Latvia (together with NGOs), this practical guide is designed for coastal municipalities, NGOs, tourism associations, and academic organisations working on environmental protection and tourism across the Baltic Sea region. It provides methodologies and recommendations for developing community-based climate change adaptation pathways, including risk assessment, prioritising actions, and setting a monitoring mechanism. By improving access to relevant climate information, the guide supports adaptation planning and decision-making for sustainable coastal tourism development
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Climate-Smart Community Action Plan
Cooperation and knowledge exchange
This action plan provides a strategic roadmap for adapting coastal tourism to the growing challenges of climate change. It outlines how climate change is expected to affect coastal areas and sets out directions for future adaptation and resilience-building measures.
To ensure the plan reflects the needs and visions of the whole community, the Saulkrasti (LV) local authority coordinated its preparation together with citizens, neighbouring municipalities, scientists, NGOs, and regional and national institutions. The plan raises awareness of climate change and its expected impacts, improves access to relevant climate information, and supports decision-making at both community and municipal levels.
The participatory approach used to develop the plan, including data collection, engagement with local communities and organisations, and the integration of climate adaptation measures into planning, can be transferred and adapted by other regions facing similar challenges.
In numbers
7 organisations cooperating across borders
86 directly benefitting from project solutions
Measuring the impacts of climate change in coastal municipalities
Best practice guidance for advanced wastewater treatment
A series of workshops brought together research organisations, tourism organisations, and municipal representatives from Denmark, Germany, and Latvia to validate the project’s recommendations for climate-smart indicators and criteria for resilient tourist beaches in the Baltic Sea region.
The resulting set of 25 climate-smart indicators is grouped into physical and socio-economic categories and helps measure the impacts of climate change on beaches and coastal areas. Several indicators, such as sand temperature, were introduced based on participants’ feedback during the workshops held in Warnemünde (Germany), Saulkrasti (Latvia), and Køge Bay (Denmark). These indicators guide municipalities, tourism operators, and Blue Flag coordinators in monitoring climate impacts, improving beach management strategies, and integrating resilience considerations into coastal tourism certification and policy.
An interactive Story Map complements the indicators by presenting the main climate pressures affecting beaches across the Baltic Sea region, the key physical and socio-economic indicators for monitoring climate impacts, and examples of how municipalities are adapting their beach management strategies.
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Interreg pays off
Follow-up activities
Interreg pays off: Solutions in use
BEACH-SOS has triggered significant follow-up actions and new initiatives. The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in Latvia incorporated climate action into the Blue Flag Latvia programme, promoting municipal engagement in adaptation planning for coastal tourism to support municipalities and NGOs.
Cooperation with municipalities in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (DE) continues through the piloting of developed indicators and sustainable dune protection measures. The Coastal Union Germany (EUCC-D) maintains the Beach School Days in Warnemünde/Rostock (DE), which now emphasise coastal climate impacts.
Finally, project partners continue cooperation and building on achieved results in the Interreg Baltic Sea Region project platforms RegenT and Baltic PlaNet, whereas Saulkrasti Municipality (LV) applies its Community Action Plan within the Baltic PlaNet and Sea2Land Navigator platforms.
Project Wrap-Up
Thanks to the Interreg funding and transnational cooperation, the Interreg project BEACH-SOS helped coastal municipalities better understand and apply climate change information in coastal management to strengthen the resilience of their beaches and coastal areas. Working together, partners from Denmark, Germany, and Latvia developed practical guidance, accessible climate information, and hands-on tools for local authorities, NGOs, and tourism organisations. These resources support users in responding to the challenges of a changing climate and in developing effective climate adaptation pathways, strategies, and plans.
