Van Oord presents Climate Risk Overview
Van Oord has launched the Climate Risk Overview, a global online tool that combines multiple data layers and enables users to identify the world’s most-at-risk coastal areas. The tool is in the public domain and anyone can use it. Van Oord unveiled the new tool during the international Climate Adaptation Summit (CAS) 2021, the company said in its release.
The Climate Risk Overview is the result of a collaboration between Van Oord and the Global Centre on Adaptation. The launch has therefore preceded the ‘official handover’ to co-chair Mr Ban Ki-moon, who will come to the Netherlands later this year. Van Oord is using the tool to drive discussion of knowledge-sharing, public-private partnerships and mobilisation of the necessary financing to deliver solutions to vulnerable areas.
The Climate Risk Overview is an online tool that visualises on a map a combination of key parameters, including populations, flood exposure, low-lying land, coastal erosion and ecology. Almost all data is from open sources. The data is mapped onto 10-kilometre stretches of the world’s coastlines. Filters can be applied to the various parameters to help narrow down to a selected number of hotspots, depending on the user’s perspective. Anyone can use the tool and save, share and learn about coastal areas at risk.
Pieter Van Oord, CEO: ‘In many coastal areas, we see countries struggling to cope with the impact of climate change, be that drought, flooding, storms or rising sea levels. We at Van Oord feel an obligation to make our adaptation expertise and solutions accessible.’
Patrick Verkooijen, CEO, Global Center on Adaptation: ‘GCA works with partners like Van Oord to accelerate adaptation action. Van Oord’s Climate Risk Overview will play a key role in broadening our understanding of climate risks and opportunities. The Overview is an example of the invaluable role of the private sector.’
Hosted by the Netherlands, the online international Climate Adaptation Summit (CAS) 2021 on 25 and 26 January brings together global leaders and local stakeholders. Van Oord is attending multiple Summit events to position its Climate Adaptation Action Plan. Join the Van Oord sessions and learn about new ways to take action for a more resilient future.
S.E.A. – Sustainable Earth Actions – is Van Oord’s sustainability programme. Meant to accelerating climate initiatives, it encompasses all of Van Oord’s business activities that play a role in protecting populations and landscapes against the risks of flooding driven by climate change. In 2019, Van Oord announced its Climate Adaptation Action Plan to stimulate and accelerate business activities between relevant parties, resulting in solutions to create a better world for future generations.
The Climate Adaptation Programme focuses on three key elements: the Climate Risk Overview, Climate Adaptation Solutions and the Knowledge Hub. The Climate Risk Overview is being launched at CAS 2021. The Climate Adaptation Solutions are meant to help the most vulnerable areas, with Van Oord having the experience, knowledge and assets to provide integral and innovative marine and nature-based solutions for coastal and river deltas at risk. The third element is the creation of a Knowledge Hub that brings together the right partners to accelerate actions. Climate adaptation projects require political planning and support, local stakeholder engagement, and financing.
About the data in the Climate Risk Overview
The Climate Risk Overview is a global online tool that combines multiple data layers and enables users to identify the world’s most-at-risk coastal areas. The overview consists of several data layers. One is the ‘flood exposure of assets’ layer, which allows the user to assess whether a certain stretch of coastline has assets that would be exposed to flooding resulting from climate change. This layer combines asset data with Sea Level Rise and Extreme Storm data generated by the IPCC, WRI, Natural Earth Data, IHS and others. Another layer focuses on coastal erosion and uses data resulting from collaboration between Delft University of Technology, Deltares and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education. Van Oord is using this data in the Climate Risk Overview to reveal local erosion or net erosion over the 1984-2016 period, shown here combined with population.
