Welcome to the Baltic Climate School 2024
The Baltic Climate School - Edition 2024:
The first edition of the Baltic Climate School took place in Latvia from 11 to 15 September 2024 and focused on the consequences of climate change on the Baltic coast. The co-organiser of this edition was Latvian Green Movement.
The Baltic Sea Region is experiencing a changing climate. The pace of change is rapid. In terms of warming, the Baltic Sea is far outpacing the oceans. The water is getting 0.6 degrees warmer each decade, a rate of warming three times higher than in the oceans. The Baltic Sea is also one of their most studied regions. This is making the Baltic Sea a test case for our Planet Earth.
By studying the Baltic Sea, we can get an idea of what changes will take place in the world. Like other regions in Europe, the Baltic faces one of the highest rates of increase in land temperature. The impacts of climate change on the region are numerous and vary depending on the specific geographical location, economic sector, or community.
FIRST EDITION OF THE BALTIC CLIMATE SCHOOL:
This year we dived into the consequences of climate change on the Latvian coast and answer the following questions:
- What are the effects of climate change on the Baltic Sea and the Latvian coast?
- How do they influence the lives of the citizens from the Baltic Sea Region?
- What are the mitigation and adaptation measures?
- Which organizations and documents provide the steps for such measures?
- What can be done on a personal level?
Therefore, we offered an event that
united bloggers, journalists, and content creators around the issues important for the Baltic Sea.
There were meetings with experts, visits to protected areas and reflective moments that inspired the creation of insightful, professional and up-to-date content about the Baltic Sea climate challenges and solutions.
During the 3 days of The Baltic Climate School, participants:
- learned about the impact of climate change from the lead experts and investigated local examples at Jurmala coast, Lielupe river, and Grey Dune;
- met the local community, had interviews, and heard the stories of grassroots initiatives;
- had an overview of possible solutions and understood the basic approaches to preserve the vulnerable ecosystems of the Latvian coast;
- saw in practice coastal protection measures undertaken in national parks of Latvia and Lithuania;
- learned to convey relevant scientific information about climate change to a wide range of the public in an accessible and environmentally friendly way.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
The co-organizer of our event this year was
Latvian Green Movement.
WHEN:
11 to 15 September 2024
WHERE:
Talsi, Latvia
We have selected marvellous places for this educational event in Latvia and a format of media tour that let us saw several examples of both local climate change impacts and adaptation solutions. Scientists, environmental experts, and local dwellers shared their knowledge, project examples, and lively stories.
HOW:
We combined indoor lectures with outdoor practices on the coast. Climate knowledge was delivered by top lecturers and by practitioners who know the climate simply by working tirelessly in the region.
Lectures and presentations were provided in English.
Helping each other (e.g. with translation or other issues) is a key element of teamwork.
WHO:
We invited up to 15 participants from the EU and Eastern Partnership countries.
Knowledge of environmental communication, media and journalism was advantageous as the course was oriented towards exchanging knowledge amongst media-related sectors.
REGISTRATION:
The registration is closed.
Please, DO NOT buy any tickets before getting a confirmation from the organizers.
COSTS:
The course was free of charge and the costs of participation (accommodation, travels, meals, lectures and outdoor activities) were covered by CCB. Refunded costs for participants were up to 200€ including travel costs for participants from EU Member States, as well as from Eastern Partnership countries.
CCB is not responsible for injury or loss of property during the Baltic Climate School 2024.
Lectures
Working Area Leader Maritime, Coalition Clean Baltic
Introduction
Nasta Zakharevich, Journalist and media expert
Journalists & Environmental NGOs: How To Be Useful To Each Other
Janis Lapinkis, University of Latvia
Climate Crisis & Coastal Management in Latvia
Maija Viška,
Institute of Aquatic Ecology
The Impact of Climate Change on The
Latvian Coast
Žygimantas Valiuškab, Curonian Spit National Park
Presentation of the Curonian Spit National Park, Lithuania
Aleksandra Koroleva & Timofey Zubarev,
Ecodefense
Focus on Coast: Words and Visual for Best Practices of Coastal Protection
Janis Matulis,
Latvian Green Movement
Latvian Green Movement & Accessible Nature Certificate
Aleksandra Koroleva & Timofey Zubarev,
Ecodefense
Documentary "The Foredune, on the Frontline of Climate Change"
Pictures from the event
Meet our participants:
Media coverage:
- Video report in Latvian by Niceta Anna Starina and Arturs Reinholds for the TV9 Pakalni.
- Article in Belarusian by Nastav Zaharaević for the GreenBelarus. English translation of the article available here.
The Baltic Climate School is one of our annual events.
You can read more about the project and the previous or future editions.