88 PERSPECTIVES ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS | VOL 41 | 2023 velopment. It was highlighted in the Second Global Sustainable Transport Conference as one of the priorities and challenges that all nations will face in the near future (United Nations, 2015). Inundation due to sea level rise and storm surges can lead to both temporary and permanent flooding, especially in seaports. According to the global mean sea levels and storm surges projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2012), 64% of seaports are expected to be inundated at some point. According to another study conducted by researchers from the European Commission Joint Research Centre, the risk of ports becoming inundated is expected to increase at least 80% from 2030 to 2080. This trend is stronger in the North Sea, which the west of Denmark borders (Christodoulou et al., 2019). Because of their unique situation and economic importance, port facilities require special attention as Denmark seeks to avoid the most adverse outcomes of SLRs. Solutions Adaptation to SLRs is not an issue that Denmark is facing alone; countries around the world are trying to create infrastructure that is climate change resilient. The common challenge has allowed for solutions that communities could implement, but it is essential to keep in mind that not one solution is right for all communities. Lynetteholm Island, Copenhagen Copenhagen, the nation’s largest city, presents a special case. To increase the protection level, Copenhagen is planning to build a 1-mi2 artificial island called Lynetteholm that will act as a high-tech dam and cost $3.2B (Beyer, 2021). A solution of this magnitude is only economically feasible if it has an alternative use. Thus, the island not only will serve as a water level controller but also will house 35,000 people and a variety of businesses. Copenhagen is currently undergoing a housing crisis, and this new development near the city center will aid in mitigating this crucial problem (Olsen, 2022). Lynetteholm Island will have a coastal landscape facing the Øresund section of Copenhagen (north of the city), and it will act as climate protection. The rocky and sandy beaches on the island will have a flat landscape, which will dampen storm surges by taking energy out of waves before they hit the city. The opening left between the existing Nordhavn port area and Lynetteholm is wide enough that boats can enter and leave the harbor and small enough that gates to control water flow could be installed (Klimasikring og kystlandska, 2022). On June 4, 2021, a broad political majority of the Danish Parliament passed a law permitting the construction of Lynetteholm. This decision has been highly controversial for economic and environmental reasons. A total of 80 million tons of soil will be needed for this island (Denmark Parliament Approves…, 2021). Environmental groups are concerned about water quality and the effect on the quality of life of the residents of Copenhagen as the island will be constructed over the next 50 years. It is estimated that 350 truck journeys will have to take place daily throughout the start of the construction period to transport the soil. This will increase contamination, fossil fuel emissions, and traffic in the capital (Smithson, 2021). Construction of Lynetteholm started in January 2022, with the installation of a road for soil transportation, which included two dams, a bascule bridge, and a navigable channel, all completed in early 2023. The construction of the island itself is expected to be conducted in two main phases. The construction of phase I has started and is expected to finish by the end of 2023. Phase II is a much larger project; construction there will commence once phase I is completed and most likely take three years to finish. This project is an example of water rise protection that large cities should be implementing. The city of Copenhagen found a way to mitigate the harmful effects of SLR, at the same time providing a solution to its housing crisis and enabling new businesses to become established. However, this is only one city in the country; it is essential that the other large cities in Denmark follow Copenhagen’s steps, implementing plans that proactively address this challenge. Dikes Another popular solution that has been implemented both in small and large communities in Denmark are dikes. As discussed previously, dikes are structural barriers that act like small dams and contain water on one side of the structure. They are a good option to serve as the main infrastructure for densely developed, low-lying coastal communities with space constraints. Dikes also serve as accessible open spaces for outdoor recreation like walking, running, and cycling. They are a more affordable solution in the short term as they are mostly constructed from compressed soil, but the maintenance, upgrade, and inspection can become costly in the long run (Dikes and Related Works, 2022). Copenhagen has used dikes for protection against flooding for decades; one of the most prominent is the Vestamager dike, built in 1943 for storm surge protection (Climate Adaptation…, 2013). The dike
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