Country overview and assessment

5. ESTONIA

This country fiche provides a comprehensive overview and assessment of climate change adaptation
in Estonia. After detailing the vulnerability of Estonia’s coastal zones, the responsibility and financing
for coastal protection is explained. Next, the fiche presents the relevant research activities, the coastal
defence, risk reduction and adaptation plans available in Estonia as well as the current and future
protection and adaptation expenditure. The persons contacted and sources of information used are
listed at the end.

5.1. VULNERABILITY OF ESTONIA’S COASTAL ZONES TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Estonia is located in northern Europe, on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. The long coastline of
2 549 km is attributable to its numerous peninsulas and bays as well as its many islands, which
account for more than half of the entire coastline. Most of the islands are concentrated on the western
coast and form the west Estonian archipelago. The country consists of 15 counties, divided into 227
municipalities. The counties which will be discussed in the remainder of the text are highlighted in
Figure Estonia-1 together with an overview of the main physical and socio-economic indicators of the
coastal zones.

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Figure Estonia-1: Overview counties of Estonia and the main physical and socio-economic
indicators of the coastal zones

Source: Policy Research based on EEA, 2006, The changing faces of Europe’s coastal areas (for Sea Level Rise
and 10 km coastal zone below 5 metres elevation); European Commission (Eurosion study), 2004, Living with
coastal erosion in Europe: Sediment and space for sustainability (for coastline length and coastline subject to
erosion); Eurostat 2004 (for GDP and population in 50 km zone)

The following paragraphs discuss the potential climate change risks for the coastal zones of Estonia
and highlight the most vulnerable coastal areas.

a/ Flooding and erosion

The coastal areas of south-west Estonia are characterised by many flat low-lying bays which are
naturally vulnerable to flooding. The actual threat of coastal flooding due to SLR is however
relatively low because the southern coastal zones experience a land-uplift. This acts to safeguard
seaside villages in case of a moderate SLR.

Storm surges on the other hand do pose a potential risk, especially for the more inhabited area Pärnu.
The greatest destruction of coastal zones in Estonia is associated with stormy periods such as the
January storm ‘Gudrun’ in 2005. This storm induced visible changes in the shoreline position in many
places. Continuation of the observed trends in climatic conditions (temperature rise in winter,
reduction in ice-cover, frequent and strong westerly storms) will intensify the changes in shoreline
position even more in the future. The northern coast of Estonia, with the exception of Tallinn and
Sillamaë, is generally less vulnerable due to a prominent 30 m high ridge running parallel to the shore
which limits the potential damages caused by flooding.

Storminess along the Baltic Sea also induces an increased rate of erosion along the sandy beaches of
the Estonian coastline, increasing the vulnerability to flooding.

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b/ Freshwater shortage
In Estonia, climate change is not expected to have negative effects with regard to the provision of
freshwater because the available groundwater resources can guarantee a sufficient supply of good
quality domestic water in all regions. Furthermore, the global warming is expected to have a positive
influence on the ecological state of water-bodies in Estonia 1.

At present, the main threat to the water quality and availability in Estonia is the agricultural water
pollution. During the last 10 years most of the water supply and wastewater collection infrastructures
have been updated.

c/ Loss of coastal eco-systems

The coastal zones of Estonia are characterised by many flat low-lying bays containing valuable
coastal eco-systems such as extensive areas of coastal wetlands.

In Estonia, these vulnerable areas are not protected by means of coastal defences as erosion and
coastal flooding are viewed as natural events. In addition, available funds are primarily dedicated to
protect economically important infrastructure or residential areas. The common policy to safeguard
these areas is to designate them as protected areas 2. Overall, Estonia is reluctant to install hard coastal
defences unless absolutely necessary because the infrastructure could affect natural coastal processes
or alter erosion processes elsewhere.

5.2. RESPONSIBILITY AND FINANCING FOR COASTAL PROTECTION AND CLIMATE

ADAPTATION

In Estonia, responsibilities with regard to coastal defences are not clearly defined and the laws and
regulations governing the coastal zones are at present incomplete. Hence, coastal defences are mainly
planned by private land owners or municipalities when they feel at risk of a natural disaster.

At national level, the Ministry of Environment and its County Environmental Departments are
responsible for the approval of spatial plans. Furthermore, environmental impact assessments must be
established for each development project, including coastal defence works. The Water Department of
the Ministry of Environment issues water permits for any construction or maintenance work on
coastal defences that may affect or disturb water conditions in the locality.

1
For example the ecological state of the Lake Võrtsjärv is highly sensitive to low water levels, thick ice-cover and
long ice-cover duration; as weather conditions are predicted to become warmer and wetter with climate change this will
have a positive impact on the ecological state of of the lake.
2
The western islands of Estonia have been designated as Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1990.

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As concerns the financing of capital coastal protection, project developers or municipalities initiating
coastal protection works can apply for funding from the Ministry of Environment subject to the
approval of expert committees. National funding may be provided through a variety of means such as
the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Environmental Investment Centre (income generated by
environmental taxes) or via state budget. Nevertheless, municipalities also frequently provide funding
through their own budget. Maintenance of coastal protection budgets occasionally qualifies for
support by means of Regional Development Funds, but in practice, municipalities and private bodies
finance this activity by themselves.

5.3. RESEARCH INTO ESTONIA’S VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND CLIMATE

CHANGE SCENARIOS

No research related to climate change and climate change scenarios could be identified for Estonia,
apart from the activities carried out in the context of the Baltic region as a whole such as the ASTRA-
project3. Estonia does have a National Environmental Monitoring Programme to examine shoreline
dynamics and coastal landscapes as well as the hydrology of the surface water bodies and the Baltic
Sea.

The ASTRA-project, which was completed in 2007, aimed to develop regional and local impact
scenarios to support climate change adaption strategies. The project also calculated estimates of the
cost of adaptation to climate change compared to the cost of inaction. For the Island Saaremaa a
detailed coastal zone management plan was set-up in order to determine the best way of protecting the
coastal zone. For the municipalities Pärnu and Tallinn, recommendations have been presented on how
to protect these areas against violence of the sea. The main recommendation for both areas was to stop
constructing long-lasting expensive buildings in low-lying areas until the rate of SLR has been
determined more reliably.

The Estonian Geological Survey, a government-owned institution that falls within the responsibility
of the Ministry of Environment, was the main Estonian actor involved in ASTRA, together with the
Tallinn University, city of Tallinn and city of Pärnu. Besides the participation in European projects,
the Estonian Geological Survey is engaged in mineral resources and groundwater research, as well as
geological mapping. On the basis of such maps, decisions with regard to environmental protection and
regional planning are made.

The National Environmental Monitoring Programme, observing and analysing shoreline dynamics
and coastal landscapes, is financed by the Estonian Ministry of Environment. Each year between 8-10
of the 33 coastal monitoring areas are investigated to generate data on the characteristics of coastal

3
www.astra-project.org; project time-frame 2005-2007.

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sediments and the changes in profiles. The cost for this programme is in the range of
€ 13 000 – € 19 000 annually.

5.4. COASTAL DEFENCE, RISK REDUCTION AND ADAPTATION PLANS IN RELATION TO

CLIMATE CHANGE

In Estonia, coastal zones are not systematically managed at the national level. Initiatives in relation to
coastal protection are mainly undertaken ad-hoc and foremost initiated by municipalities.
Nevertheless, national regulations provide the municipalities with certain guidelines. At present, no
national climate change adaptation plans are available or under preparation.

a/ Initiatives at national level

The main acts that have been established at the national level to safeguard the natural values of the
Estonian coastal zones and to offer indirect protection to any violence of the sea are:
 The Water Act;
 The Nature Conservation Act;
 The Building Act;
 The Planning Act.

The Water Act and the Nature Conservation Act establish a coastal zone in which development is not
allowed. The width of the strip is 50 metres in urban areas and varies between 100 and 200 metres
elsewhere. The Ministry of Environment remains the right to make exceptions and reduce the size of
the protected zone when considered necessary and possible.

The Estonian Building Act and the Planning Act, which both came into force in 2003, regulate spatial
planning in Estonia. These acts regard zoning and land use planning as the most important tools for
the implementation of environmental protection policies. The Planning Act established a planning
system on four levels: national planning, county planning, local comprehensive planning and detailed
planning. In this regard a few local authorities in Saaremaa have managed to create a comprehensive
land use plan for their municipalities and established regulations regarding construction along the
coast.

Although above mentioned Estonian acts contribute to limiting the development along the Estonian
coast, large areas have a low population density as a result of the Soviet occupation until 1991 which
restricted the coastal zones to military zones. Directly after the independence, large parts of the
coastal zones were granted a protected status. To date, Estonia has still a lower population density
along its coastal zones than other Nordic countries.

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b/ Initiatives at sub-national level

Coastal defences are planned by private companies or municipalities in Estonia. Furthermore, most
coastal protection works do not take long-term climate change forecasts into account as Estonia is still
too uncertain with regard to future predictions on the impact of climate change in the Baltic Sea
region. The required level of protection is mainly based on historical trends in flooding and erosion.

As case in point coastal protection and climate change adaptation measures taken at Tallinn 4, Pärnu,
Haapsalu and Sillamäe are illustrated in the following paragraphs.

Tallinn
Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, has a coastline of approximately 70 km which is divided into several
peninsulas and minor bays at the mouths of different valleys. Within the valleys the coast has a
maximum elevation of 3 to 5 m above sea level. These areas are generally densely populated or
subject to intense construction activities and at the same time they are extremely vulnerable to storm
surges. For Tallinn specifically, long-lasting north-westerly winds and storms are most unfavourable
and time series have shown an increase in their strength and duration 5.

In response to the EU Flood Directive and the effects of the January 2005 storm, the Tallinn
municipality began a series of studies on the identification of areas at risk of coastal flooding and
erosion. As a result, Kakumäe peninsular has been identified as an area of high risk to erosion.

In 2006 a preliminary scoping project was undertaken by the Institute of Cybernetics from the Tallinn
University of Technology to identify possible coastal defence works for the peninsula. In order to
conduct a more in-depth analysis, Tallinn plans to apply for funding from the Environmental
Investment Centre. The cost is estimated at € 1.3 million.

Besides these studies, a local beach nourishment project is currently ongoing. In the 1980s sand was
taken from inland mines to construct an artificial beach in Tallinn. This beach now requires
re-nourishment to continue its role as a popular tourist destination.

Pärnu
Pärnu is considered to be one of the most vulnerable municipalities in Estonia. Pärnu is extremely
vulnerable to floods caused by south-westerly storms and about 45% of the coastal area is situated at
less than 5 m elevation. Floods during strong storms in the previous years have caused considerable
economic losses.

4
In Tallinn, also the port authorities were contacted, but besides marine monitoring since 1995, they do not take any
specific coastal protection measures.
5
Astra-project, 2007, Towards climate change adaptation in the Baltic Sea region – results of the case studies.

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After the January 2005 storm, the Pärnu municipality planned to construct a dike of 2-3 km long and
2 m high on the shoreline to provide protection from storm surges. However, due to the lack of
funding, the project has been abandoned.

Sillamäe
Another municipality at great risk in north-eastern Estonia is Sillamäe, where the dumping site of the
former uranium enrichment plant is situated. In total 12 million tons of contaminants were deposited 6
at the site, presenting a significant environmental threat to both the coastal zone and the Gulf of
Finland. Coastal erosion could affect the structural integrity of the waste depository site.

Preliminary coastal defences were constructed in 1997 to protect the highest risk regions from
flooding or erosion. In 1998, Estonia applied moreover for financial assistance from the EU and the
other Baltic states in order to reduce the environmental risk posed by the site. The project included the
complete covering of the site and the construction of a small channel to redirect rainwater directly into
the sea and thus mitigating contaminated rainwater infiltration of the depository.

Construction of the long-term coastal defences took place in 2001-2002, including a breakwater of
1 km long and between 4.1 and 4.5 metres in height. Increased vulnerability through climate change
was not taken into account for the planning of the coastal defences.

Recent research has shown that additional coastal defences are required in front of Sillamäe town to
protect the area from intense erosion. Hard coastal measures which were installed in the past are
currently in bad condition and need replacing or repairing to remain effective.

5.5. PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE ADAPTATION EXPENDITURE

The coastal protection expenditure in Estonia is very low. Between 1998 and 2007, only € 0.9 million
was spent, and € 0.14 million in the year 2008. Also for the future, there are no indications of a
significant rise in the coastal protection or adaptation cost. As a result, Estonia will only have spent
€ 2.7 million over the entire 1998-2015 period.

The capital measures that could be identified are a beach nourishment project in Tallinn in 2006-2008
for a total amount of approximately € 0.12 million, and coastal defences in Sillamäe for a maximum
amount of € 1 million in 2001-2002.

The project cost to reduce the environmental risk of the Sillamaë depository site, carried out in 1998,
is estimated at € 20 million. The Estonian government provided € 3 million, € 5 million was provided

6
Dumped material includes uranium and other heavy metals as well as chemical compounds, presenting a
significant environmental hazard.

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by the EU Phare programme, with the rest accounted for by other Baltic states and the Nordic
Environment Finance Corporation7.

The information on the past, present and future adaptation expenditure is further detailed in Table
Estonia-1.

Table Estonia-1: Expenditure to protect against coastal flooding and erosion (in € million)

*
Expenditure provided by Water Department of Estonian Ministry of Environment
**
The cost for building the breakwater was about € 1 million, Policy Research estimates that the EU contributed about
25%, the national government about 15% and other Baltic states and the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation
about 60% as this was the case for the other works carried out to reduce the environmental risk of the Sillamaë
depository site

7
These amounts have not been included in Table 5-1 as they are not related to the protection against flooding and
erosion, but to mitigating environmental risks of contaminated rainwater floating into the sea.

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5.6. PERSONS CONTACTED AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION USED

5.6.1. PERSONS CONTACTED

Name Organisation

Andresmaa, Eda Department of Development, Ministry of Environment

Altmets, Elle Haapsalu Municipality

Kaasik, Ellen Quality and Environmental Management Department, Port of Tallinn

Kabun, Karit Enterprise Estonia

Kupper, Kristiina Parnu City Government

Environmental Management and Technology Department, Ministry of
Pruul, Reet
Environment
Reisner, Rene Water Department of Estonian Ministry of Environment

Teder, Janne Tallinn Municipal Engineering Services Department

Tonisson, Hannes Institute of Technology, Tallinn University

5.6.2. SOURCES OF INFORMATION USED

 Astra-project, 2007, Towards climate change adaptation in the Baltic Sea region – results of the
case studies
 Beckmann A., 2003, Estonia
 Haanpää S., Lehtonen S., Peltonen L. and Talockaite E., 2006, Impacts of winter storm Gudrun of
7 – 9th January 2005 and measures taken in Baltic Sea region
 Hilpert K., Mannke F., Schmidt-Thomé P., 2007 Towards climate change adaptation in the Baltic
Sea region, Geological Survey of Finland, Espoo
 Klein J. and Staudt M., 2006, Evaluation of future sea level rise impacts in Parnu, Estonia,
Geological Survey of Finland, Special Paper 41, pp. 71-81
 Klein L. Ed., 2008, Estonian nature conservation in 2007, Estonian Environment Information
Centre
 Kont A., 2000, Implications of accelerated sea-level rise (ASLR) for Estonia, proceedings of
SURVAS expert workshop on European vulnerability and adaptation to impacts of accelerated Sea-
Level Rise (ASLR), Hamburg, Germany, 19 -21 June 2000
 Kont A., Jaagus J., Orviku K., Palginõmm V., Ratas U., Rivis R., Suursaar Ü. and Tõnisson H.,
2005, The 9 January 2005 storm impact on the Estonian coastal area

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 Kont A., Endjarv E., Jaagus J., Lode E., Orviku K., Ratas U., Rivis R., Suursaar Ü., Tõnisson H.,
2007, Impact of climate change on Estonian coastal and inland wetlands – a summary with new
results, Boreal Environment Research vol. 12 p. 653-671
 Kont A., Jaagus J., Aunap R., Ratas U. and Reimo R., 2008, Implications of sea level rise for
Estonia, Journal of Coastal Research vol. 24 p. 423-431
 Orviku K., Tõnisson H., Aps R., Kotta J., Kotta I., Martin G., Suursaar Ü., Tamsalu R., Zalesny
V., 2008, Environmental impact of port construction: port of Sillamäe case study (Gulf of Finland,
Baltic Sea)
 Palginomm V., Ratas U. and Kont A., 2007, Increasing human impact on coastal areas of Estonia
in recent decades, Journal of Coastal Research vol. 50 p. 114 – 119
 Povilanskas P. et al., 2002, EUROSION case study: Tallinn (Estonia)
 Rivis R., Ratas U. and Kont A., 2002, Some implications of coastal processes associated with
climate change on Harilaid, Western Estonia, in: Littoral 2002, The Changing Coast.
EUROCOAST/EUCC, Porto
 Schmidt-Thome P. Ed., 2006a, Sea level change affecting the spatial development of the Baltic
Sea region, Geological Survey of Finland, Special Paper 41
 Schmidt-Thome P. Ed., 2006b, The spatial effects and management of natural and technological
hazards in Europe – ESPON 1.3.1, Geological survey of Finland

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