Næstved Kommune faces a dual climate challenge, where the ambition of CO2 neutrality by 2050 must be balanced with an urgent need to protect citizens against extreme weather events. The municipality's climate adaptation plan from April 2023 is part of the broader DK2020 climate plan and builds on a fundamental principle that the risk of climate-related events must not increase. Næstved's particular geographic location with coastal areas at Karrebæksminde Bay, Karrebæk Fjord and Smålandsfarvandet creates unique challenges. DMI's climate projections show that the municipality can expect a mean water level rise of 90 cm by 2110 and 30 percent more precipitation than today. Particularly vulnerable are the low-lying areas around Karrebæksminde and Enoe, where up to 250 homes and holiday homes risk flooding during a 100-year storm surge in the future. What makes Næstved's climate challenge particularly complex is the combination of coastal risks and inland flooding. While many municipalities primarily focus on either sea or precipitation problems, Næstved must handle both. The municipality has areas that are already below sea level today, including parts of Nylands Mose and Kristiansholm Plantage, while at the same time low-lying areas in Næstved town are vulnerable to the more intense cloudbursts that climate change brings. The most comprehensive measures focus on physical protection and intelligent planning. The dike project on Enoe, completed in spring 2023, protects approximately 750 residences against storm surges and represents the municipality's largest single climate adaptation investment. In parallel, the municipality has since 2016 established climate lakes along Ellebækken and carried out extensive nature restoration along 12 km of the Saltø Å system. The preventive approach through municipal planning is equally important -- new residential areas may no longer be located in flood-prone areas, and all new construction in risk areas must be built to stricter foundation level requirements. Nevertheless, the municipality acknowledges significant gaps in climate protection. Many private holiday homes around Karrebæksminde remain vulnerable, and it is the property owners' own responsibility to protect against future storm surges. In Næstved town, older sewer systems are not dimensioned for the heavier rainfall of the future, and the municipality acknowledges that only the most critical stretches of infrastructure can be protected in an economically responsible manner. Particularly problematic is the fact that some of the municipality's most important transport connections, including Karrebækvej to Enoe and Vordingborgvej at Dybsø Fjord, will be regularly flooded without costly protective measures. Citizens are engaged primarily through information and self-help. The municipality has developed detailed climate maps available online and advises citizens on how to protect their properties against flooding. For farmers and landowners in vulnerable areas, the municipality offers guidance on nature restoration projects that can combine climate protection with financial compensation. This approach acknowledges the fundamental reality that the municipality cannot protect everyone against all climate risks but must prioritise the most critical areas while citizens take responsibility for their own protection.

Source: Klimatilpasningsplan for Næstved Kommune (2023)