Coastal Flood Defence and Coastal Protection along the Baltic Sea Coast of Schleswig-Holstein

摘要

Schleswig-Holstein is the most northerly Federal State in Germany. It has an area of 15,731 km2 and a population of about 2,700,000 (about 172 inhabitants per km2). The State is situated between two seas, the Baltic Sea in the East and the North Sea in the West (Fig. 1). As a result, a large part of the State may be characterised as coastal zone. Within this zone, most of the population is concentrated, e.g. in the harbour cities of Kiel (about 248,000 inhabitants) and Liibeck (about 217,000 inhabitants). In all, the coastline measures 1,190 km, and about 3,800 km2 of flood-prone coastal lowlands exist. In these lowlands, which represent almost 25% of total surface area, 345,000 people live and economic assets worth of 47 billion Euros are concentrated (HOFSTEDE, 2004). This chapter focuses on the Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein. For the North Sea coast, the reader is referred to chapter 1.2.1.