The aim of the project is to increase future safety of coastal areas by strengthening the inner slope of the coastal defences and at the same time improving the flood retention capacity of the hinterland areas. The project work has been divided into six work pack-ages related to reconnaissance of the spatial potentials of the hinterland areas, performance of a socio-economic evaluation of the wetlands, providing a variety of technical solutions for strengthening of the defences; implementing participatory actions; and conducting pilot projects which will be fed from the results from the rest of the WPs.

The project aims at sustainable coastal risk management in the North Sea Region through exchange of experience and common evaluation and pilot studies. It will address the following aspects of risk management: Improvement of policies and strategies, common strategic planning tools, participation methods and performance indicators as well as common technical methods.

Escape aims to minimise the effects of flooding situations in coastal areas, through improving contingency plans, increasing public awareness and developing systems for monitoring high water and evacuation possibilities.

The project seeks to improve the sustainability of development in flood risk areas by working with both technical and social aspects of flood risk information and its integration into decision support systems for spatial planning. The project will also consider transferable strategies for improved water management.

The project seeks to reduce flood risk in North Sea estuaries by combining Flood Control Areas, where water can be stored when water levels are high, with alternative sustainable land use. Activities include specific practical action at demonstration sites.

Coastal zones in the European Union are regarded as ecological entities, which encompass catchment areas of several different river basins. Moreover, management of water basins at the European level is governed by the Water Framework Directive. It is common however that appropriate management of coastal zones stimulates integration of many sectoral interests, which is manifested by international cooperation. Because of that, coordination of different practices, defined in the international agreements, with requirements and initiatives of the European Directive needs to be achieved in order to integrate coastal areas. The HARBASINS project was set up to combine the two approaches, i.e. the EU?s river basin and the international coastal zones management into an optimal way for the North Sea Region.

The project aims at harmonising risk management strategies for the North Sea region and at transforming these strategies into practical methodologies for spatial planners, decision makers and operational entities dealing with safety at sea. The strategies will be put into practice in six demonstration projects, including ?classification and risk assessment of oil transport in the North Sea?, ?practical tools on risk management for offshore wind farms?, ?coastal zone management, places of refuge and preparedness? and ?decision making for a maritime rescue coordination centre.?

Coastal lowlands may be defined as coastal areas prone to flooding during extreme storm surges, assuming that no coastal defence structures exist. In the North Sea Region, approximately 12 million people, i.e. 20% of its total population, live in such lowlands areas with particular flooding expose. These areas are also home to major economic activities such as the ports of Rotterdam, Antwerp and Hamburg. An appropriate costal defence is therefore a prerequisite for social and economic development of the region. Higher sea levels and a greater risk of storm surges as a consequence of global climate changes require adaptation of proper coastal planning and management systems. SAFECOAST has been set up to face these challenges.

The coastal regions of the North Sea are frequently haunted by storms that cause wind damage to the forests. Changing practices in forest and landscape management have potentially added to the vulnerability of these regions. According to some predictions, the effects of global warming will further exacerbate those problems.The STORMRISK project has natural landscape conservation and resilience concerns at its core. This will be achieved through implementing measures for improved planning, restoration and management of forested landscapes in wind-exposed areas around the North Sea.