The implications of climate change for extreme weather events and their socio-economic consequences in Finland

Abstract

This publication reports on the main findings of the entire TOLERATE project, which was an integrated natural science ? social science project for the assessment of climate changed induced changes of extreme weather events and their social-economic consequences at a regional level. It includes regional projections of changes in climate conditions in Finland, with special reference to (short) periods with extremely abundant and extreme scant precipitation respectively. Based on these projections changes in river flood risks are assessed for two water shed areas by means of hydrological models. The resulting flood maps for events with different return times are subsequently evaluated with respect to their direct damage cost and with respect to the overall macroeconomic impacts in the region. With the aid of a group decision support system alternative flood risk mitigation options (investment alternatives) were preliminary explored with the aim to arrive at a ranking of alternatives based on a mix of criteria.Adaptation, climate change, cost-benefit analysis, decision support, flood risk, hazard economics, regional climate scenario