The climate adaptation of a park in Malmö

A changed climate means that we can expect rising sea levels and more periods of heavy precipitation, as well as more heatwaves. This represents an increased risk of flooding, which could destroy buildings, roads and public communications in towns. Following the cloudburst events of 2014, several thousand instances of flood damage were reported to insurance companies, at a cost of more than SEK 1 billion. The City of Malmö’s final bill for the 2014 cloudbursts is expected to total around SEK 160 million. The costs incurred as a result of various types of weather events are expected to increase in the changed climate of the future.

By adapting towns and cities to cope with the effects of a changed climate, the risks will be significantly reduced – with regard both to public safety and to the economy. Following the cloudbursts of 2014, the City of Malmö now incorporates the management of surface runoff into its daily planning work. More room is allocated for green areas and vegetation, which help to cleanse runoff water, slow down water flows in the event of cloudbursts and reduce the intensity of heatwaves, while also being beneficial for biodiversity. By having a large, well-planned green park in the middle of the new Hyllie urban district to the south of Malmö, consideration has been shown to the changed climate.

A park as a climate adaptation measure

A major depression in the ground provides the opportunity for risk-spreading, with room to accommodate 1,000 m3 of surface runoff water, and a further 6,000 m3 of water could be delayed in the event of a sudden cloudburst event. The surfaces in Hyllie’s urban park that have been designed to manage cloudbursts can also be used for other purposes when there is no such heavy rain. This means that the same area can be used both for the management of surface runoff and for recreation.