Climate change Maps show which residential areas in Helsinki and Espoo are threatened by floods exacerbated by climate change – Exceptional phenomenon aroused by decision-makers

Climate change as a result, sea levels are expected to rise as glaciers melt. A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) focusing on the effects of climate change and adaptation will be published today, Monday.

In Finland, seawater can flood more often and in some places more intensely.

Already, environmental authorities predict that once In a hundred years, the water level in the Gulf of Finland may rise by almost two meters above normal.

To Helsinki and for Espoo, this flood of 1.93 meters would cause considerable hardship.

It would now cover an area of ​​nearly 1,000 buildings, about 50 kilometers of driveways and more than 70 kilometers of light traffic lanes. About 1,600 inhabitants would be besieged by the flood.

Without special flood measures, seawater would rise in Helsinki’s Kyläsaari and Verkkosaari areas, where hundreds of new homes are currently being built. In Arabianranta, the sea would reach between residential houses in an extreme situation.

In Vuosaari and Östersundom, large areas would be overwhelmed by water, and in Kauppatori the waves would flutter towards the stone foot of the town hall.

In Espoo, water would rise to the Laajalahti nature reserve, the northern parts of Otaniemi and the shores of Haukilahti. Without special measures, seawater would also take over the shores of Suomenoja and the western parts of Espoo.

However, the emergency does not look like this. Espoo and Helsinki have been building flood barriers in critical areas for years and are preparing for the ground to be raised in new residential areas before construction even begins.

Espoon and Helsinki, which was completed last year flood risk management plan it appears that the current flood protection would save 122 buildings and 3.8 kilometers of driveway from parimetric flooding.

Flood embankments have been built in Marjaniemi, Vartiokylänlahti and Laajasalo, Helsinki, and in Nuottaniemi and Otsolahti, Espoo.

In new residential areas – for example in Jätkäsaari, Hernesaari, Verkkosaari and Kyläsaari in Helsinki and Suomenoja in Espoo – the ground will be raised three meters above normal sea level to prevent a possible superfluid from wetting the foundations of new houses.

“For example, in Perkka, the ground was raised 2.8 meters and a little more so that the ripple did not reach the houses,” says the street manager in Espoo. Esa Rauhala.

When new areas are built or old ones are renovated, planners in Espoo and Helsinki study the flood forecasts carefully. For example, the outermost tip of Hernesaari is to be raised about four meters above sea level because the headland is exposed to hard waves.

Leading expert of the City of Helsinki Eija Kivilaakso says flood views are taken into account when zoning near the shore. This is done, for example, in Hermanninranta and Kyläsaari.

Arabianranta it was predicted to plan at the turn of the 21st century so that the coastal park would be flooded as sea levels rise.

The city figured out how to raise the Arabianranta beach park, but it was found to be prohibitively expensive.

Residents of Arabianranta are accustomed to the fact that from time to time the water rises near the birches.

Juho Lamminmäki has lived in Arabianranta since 2015. He has seen water covering the beach walkways. Still, the situation is not a concern, as seawater has never reached residential areas.

Summer from Kankko and Jani Poikelaa the threat of flooding makes you think because they live on the lowest floor of their house. In the worst case, water could rise into the yard.

“But so far the flood of 1.20 meters has been the highest,” says Poikela.

Jussi in Helamaa is a simple instruction for flood situations: “No need to go there in the water,” he says and continues his ski run near the beach.

If In Arabianranta, residential areas are safe from frequent floods, and the situation is different at the Helsinki Market Square.

The market square or other old blocks cannot be protected by raising the ground. At the Epiphany in 2005, the sea level rose 1.51 meters from normal and the sandbags piled up at the edge of the pier were unable to prevent the water from rising.

Kivilaakso considers the exceptional winter flood of 2005 to be a turning point in Helsinki’s flood preparedness, as it caused a great need to intervene in the flood protection of the old urban structure as well.

Since the 2005 flood, the Helsinki Rescue Department has specified plans to protect the historic center, but sandbags would still be used for temporary protection.

“They would be used a little differently and the barrier would be sealed with plastic,” says the firefighter Sami Lindberg.

Helsinki the city has just started a working group whose task is to design a new type of flood protection for the Market Square. One possible option could be grooves in the edge of the pier, into which supporting fence elements could be clicked in the event of a flood.

The rise of water in the center of Helsinki is also being prevented by the Helsinki Region Environmental Services (HSY), which is responsible for closing the valves of stormwater drains discharged into the sea.

If the valves are not closed in time, the water could rise at the intersection of Mikonkatu and Kaisaniemenkatu, for example.

The rescue service is also concerned about flood situations in which water interrupts the routes of rescue vehicles. According to Lindberg, the plant’s own fleet and boats borrowed from other authorities would then be needed.

In addition to the Market Square, the surroundings of Töölönlahti are difficult for flood operations. Valuable buildings, such as the Finlandia building, should be protected.

The catchment area of ​​Töölönlahti is wide, and the water level can rise due to either heavy rains or sea floods.

“The stormwater in the Pasila area has just been discharged into Töölönlahti, and those pipes are big,” reminds Eija Kivilaakso, the city’s expert.

Flood gates under the main line bridge have been planned to limit the flooding of Töölönlahti. They should come true in the next couple of years.

In Espoo the next major renovation project is Kivenlahti Meritori, for which a concrete fence is planned for flood protection.

Esa Rauhala estimates that the flood protection will increase the contract price of Meritor’s basic renovation by more than one million euros. However, protection needs to be done as a few properties near the beach are falling below the flood line.

In Haukilahti, in addition to seawater, heavy rains and meltwater on the shores of Gräsanoja cause floods.

“Plans for the flood response in Gräsanoja are well under way, and a residents’ event has been held for this last year. The permit process is complicated, ”says Rauhala.

The urban creek is to be dredged and its channel will be widened in some places to make room for more water. Gräsanoja was last dredged in the 1950s.

Rauhala estimates that the costs of Gräsanoja’s flood operations will increase to more than five million euros

Haukilahti People on the shore are interested in the floods in Espoo, although no major flood damage has been observed.

Mikael Willberg was aware of Gräsanoja’s dredging plans.

“In Haukilahti, seawater has hardly flooded in recent years. There was another about 15 years ago, when the water went up ashore in the Westend as well, ”Willberg recalls.

Living in Copenhagen and Espoo Marilin Beach says he has not noticed any particular flooding in Espoo. Instead, there is more talk of flood damage in Copenhagen.

This is also the case in the eastern north of the Gulf of Finland, from where the people of St. Petersburg Oleg Languev is from. In St. Petersburg, the risk of a sea flood is always present: the Neva is flooded and heavy rains are causing problems.

“I have lived in Espoo for almost three years and at least I have not noticed any flooding here on the shoreline. Climate change could make things worse. ”

Baltic Sea Of the peripheral countries, the situation in Finland is not the worst in a flood situation. Esa Rauhala believes that the flood risks in Espoo are moderately well managed.

According to Eija Kivilaakso, flood control in the old cities of the Baltic Sea is much more difficult than in Finland, because the coastal areas are gentle and the old cities are built shallow.

“The overall situation in the Helsinki metropolitan area is quite good. For a long time now, our flood forecasts have been based on the latest climate forecasts, ”Kivilaakso comforts.