Four Mayors Want Capital’s Storm Surge Protection to Become a National Pilot Project

Important infrastructure and cultural values ​​could be flooded when the storm surge hits our capital in the future. Therefore, four mayors of the capital demand that storm surge protection in the capital become a national pilot project.

The latest reports on storm surges in the capital area show that we must actively address the fact that significant public values ​​could be affected and several hundred thousand citizens could end up living without heat and other supplies. This involves an unprecedented extent of damage that affects everyone in the capital region. Securing 60 km of coastline, including two large storm surge barriers, and a construction period of 30-40 years require both planning and financial resources.

The mayors of Dragør, Hvidovre, Copenhagen, and Tårnby Municipalities are advocating for a solidarity-based financing of storm surge protection. Currently, this is not possible because the Coastal Protection Act states that only those directly on the waterfront must pay for the extensive storm surge protection needed in the capital. In practice, this would mean that only a few would pay to protect Denmark’s capital against storm surges.

At present, damages from storm surges are repaired through the solidarily financed natural damage tax of 40 DKK per year for everyone with a household, home, or leisure property insurance. The four mayors wish that prevention could be financed in the same way solidarily. Therefore, the four mayors want all citizens in the capital region to contribute to storm surge protection, as everyone benefits from the functioning infrastructure, workplaces, and institutions in the capital area.