Cluster of Excellence "Climate, Climatic Change, and Society" (CLICCS)
Dr. Martin Döring (Project Manager), Prof. Dr. Beate M.W. Ratter, Robert Ertel
Duration: January 2026 - December 2031
The Cluster of Excellence “Climate, Climatic Change, and Society 2” (CliCCS) at Universität Hamburg is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and has started its second phase.
Research topic A5: “Co-creating socio-ecological transformation of climate change governance in North Germany”.
This project has the main objective to analyse the still pending integration of transformation theories, socio-ecological analyses, and action research for adaptation. The central research question is: „How can sustainable climate change adaptation governance be improved by the co-constructive development of socio-ecological transformation pathways?”
A5 will continue to collaborate with coastal communities on the islands of Föhr and Amrum on exploring adaptive measures (nature-based coastal protection) while at the same time investigating the relation between climate change and eutrophication in rural areas (sustainable land use) along the River Elbe. In doing so, A5 contributes to the central research question of CLICCS: “Which climate futures are plausible and how can desired climate futures be realised?”. The project will provide grounded strategies for reconciling climate change adaptation measures with competing anthropogenic uses, social interests, administrative regulations and political strategies. Furthermore, and by engaging communities in place-based and active climate change adaptation, we support the Adaptation Group’s aim to co-produce transformative adaptation measures in living labs.
Predecessor Project:
Dr. Martin Döring (Project Manager), Prof. Dr. Beate M.W. Ratter, Paul Müller M.Sc.
Duration: 2019 - 2025
The Cluster of Excellence “Climate, Climatic Change, and Society” (CliCCS) at Universität Hamburg is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Further participating institutions are Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M), Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (Centre for Materials and Coastal Research, HZG) and German Cimate Computing Center (DKRZ). CLICCS establish a long-term program spanning the range from basic research on climate dynamics and climate-related social dynamics to the transdisciplinary exploration of human–environment interactions. All scientists involved in CLICCS collaborate closely in tracking and analyzing climate change, probable effects and changes. Understanding these changes, including how societies adapt, will enable to assess with far greater confidence than before the range of imaginable climate futures.
Research topic C3: Sustainable Adaptation Scenarios for Coastal Systems: Our project aims is focused on coupled human–environment dynamics on a regional level, where climate change becomes visible and where sustainable adaptation can be realized by local actors. C3 will contribute to the CLICCS objectives through the provision of strategies on how to reconcile climate adaptation and mitigation strategies with competing anthropogenic uses and social interests.