DK3: Endelave

Endelave is an island of 1320 ha located in the Kattegat sea holding 150 inhabitants. The island has mainly been used for agriculture and large parts of the island are being cultivated. But in recent years, the beautiful nature and landscape on the island have attracted more tourists and currently 15.000 tourists visit Endelave each year. This puts a huge pressure the islands limited groundwater resources.

Furthermore, climate change will lead to sea level rise, increased risk for storm floods and increasede risk of droughts in the summer which also will exhaust the groundwater resources and lead to saltwater intrusion. There is however, a potential to find synergies for a community transition while managing the impacts of climate change and the ecosystem services of the island’s groundwater reserve. A societal transition moving away from a traditional arable island community will free up valuable land for nature restoration and groundwater protection benefitting the transition to a community based on tourism, ecotourism and experience economy.

The objective of the pilot will be to gain a better understanding of the hydrogeological conditions on the island and the interaction between the fresh water and the sea water.