Insights from the CLIMAREST Project on Arctic Marine Ecosystem Restoration

Laura Wendling

Laura Wendling, representing the CLIMAREST project coordinated by Sintef Ocean, shared her insights into the ongoing work on coastal climate resilience and marine restoration tools in the Arctic Atlantic basin. The CLIMAREST project, an EU-funded initiative under the EU Mission to Restore Our Oceans and Waters, began in 2022 and will run until 2025.

It aims to develop a toolbox consisting of modular, interoperable tools designed to guide local stakeholders through restoration processes. Although the cost and benefit estimates from the project will not be universally applicable, they will provide valuable ballpark figures for planning and decision-making.

Project scope and objectives

The CLIMAREST project covers five unique restoration environments, with a focus on Svalbard in the Arctic. Other sites include seagrass meadow restoration in Ireland, oyster reef restoration in Brittany, blue lobster restoration in Galicia, and rocky algae forest restoration in Madeira.

The overarching goal of the project is to conserve biodiversity and protect ecosystems while ensuring minimal environmental footprints. The project is committed to adapting restoration methods to each specific environment, factoring in local conditions, stakeholders, and socio-economic contexts.

Challenges in Svalbard: coastal erosion and pollution

Svalbard, located in the Arctic, faces significant challenges due to rapid climate change. Warming in this region occurs at a rate of 2 to 2.5 times faster than the global average, with permafrost degradation further exacerbating coastal erosion. The coastal ecosystems are under threat from both natural and anthropogenic pressures, particularly the erosive wave action exacerbated by melting permafrost, which destabilizes the sediment and threatens both ecosystems and human infrastructure.

A critical focus of the project is to mitigate coastal erosion while maintaining the integrity of both ecological and social systems. Restoration in this context involves a “hybrid nature-based solution,” integrating natural features with robust engineering techniques to provide both ecological resilience and technical reliability. This approach aims to protect the coastal community in Longyearbyen, where the population is vulnerable to these environmental changes.

Addressing wastewater impacts in Longyearbyen

Another aspect of the CLIMAREST project in Svalbard involves reducing the impact of wastewater discharges into the Adventfjord. Longyearbyen, a small community of 2,500 residents, relies on a wastewater treatment system that discharges treated water into the fjord. However, the current treatment system, which only uses a mechanical sieve to filter large particles, is insufficient to fully protect the sensitive Arctic ecosystem.

The team has engaged both the local community and tourists to reduce the environmental pressure by raising awareness of the wastewater system's limitations. Simple measures, such as informing people not to dispose of inappropriate waste in toilets, have proven to be an effective short-term strategy. This initiative has provided critical insights into how simple community actions can complement larger restoration efforts.

Figure 5: Costs of baseline assessment and social awareness campaign by CLIMAREST.

Cost-benefit analysis and key insights

A crucial part of the CLIMAREST project is assessing the costs and benefits of the restoration measures. Wendling highlighted that stakeholder engagement, particularly with local communities, was a low-cost but highly valuable activity. The local and traditional ecological knowledge gathered from workshops has proven to be far more valuable than the costs incurred in conducting them. However, significant costs were associated with sampling and analysis of water and sediment quality in remote areas, with shipping and personnel time also contributing to the overall cost.

The project's cost-benefit analysis has shown that while it’s difficult to apply exact numbers universally, the research provides important frameworks for understanding the relative costs of different restoration phases. Stakeholder engagement, in particular, was identified as a crucial element that would help ensure the success and future funding of restoration efforts.

Lessons learned and future recommendations

Wendling concluded with several key lessons learned from the project:

Community engagement: Broad engagement with stakeholders, including local residents, tourists, and indigenous knowledge holders, is essential for long-term success. Gaining community buy-in is critical to ensure that the restoration efforts are supported and sustainably funded.
Non-structural roles: In addition to physical restoration activities, understanding and managing ecosystems – such as sustainable use and protection—are equally important. This also includes efforts to reuse materials and integrate circular economy principles into restoration practices.
Leveraging existing data and citizen science: Utilizing existing data and citizen science opportunities can enhance restoration efforts while keeping costs manageable.
Systems thinking: Combining diverse initiatives and using a systems thinking approach allows for a holistic view of restoration. In Svalbard, addressing both coastal erosion and wastewater treatment together has provided a more comprehensive understanding of the environmental challenges.