The INTERREG-Baltic BEACHSOS project, which aims to assess the impacts of climate change on the Baltic Sea coast, held a series of meetings in Saulkrasti, Latvia from 22-24 January.
The workshop brought together local authorities, businesses, and communities to discuss the challenges faced by the Baltic Sea coastal tourism and to develop sustainable solutions for the future.
The project team met with the representatives from the Saulkrasti Municipality, learning about their views and responsibilities on coastal management, while sharing their objectives and activities of the project.
Meeting of Saulkrasti Municipality departments. Image: ©Saulkrasti Municipality
The team also engaged with different stakeholders from the public and private sectors, such as tourism operators, fishermen, environmentalists, and residents, to explore their visions and preferences for the future of the coast and tourism in 2030 and 2050.
Workshop of stakeholders in Saulkrasti, Latvia.
Image: ©Saulkrasti Municipality
Workshop with 12 graders of the Seja Elementary School. Image: ©Seja Elementary School
The last meeting was a creative session with a group of schoolchildren from Seja Elementary School, who expressed their opinions and concerns on climate change through AI images of the coast.
The meetings have successfully raised awareness of climate change and promoted dialogue between the different stakeholders in the coastal zone, with more than 50 people taking part. But this is just the beginning of the dialogue between coastal communities and authorities.
A series of workshops and events are planned for Germany and Denmark as part of the Beach-SOS project. The Beach-SOS project aims to have a regional impact on improving the sustainability of the coastal tourism sector in the face of climate change. These upcoming workshops and events will further engage stakeholders, share best practices and develop concrete strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on coastal areas and tourism activities.
The BEACH-SOS team, January 2024
The BEACH-SOS project, co-funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2021-2027, helps coastal communities to adapt to climate change.
