Author(s): Anna Berg Samuelsdottir; Jessica Penny; Thora Valsdottir; Eva Margret Jonudottir; Sigurdur Bjartmar Magnusson; Lydia Vamvakeridou-Lyroudia; Albert S. Chen
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Abstract: The coastal fjord systems in the East of Iceland are increasingly exposed to interacting environmental pressures, including climate-driven changes linked to extreme weather events that affect the entire water system. These climate-driven changes include rising water temperatures, altered mixing patterns and shifts in the water-column structure as observed in sub-arctic fjords of Eastern Iceland (Hansen & Ingólfsson, 1993). Additional pressures arise from harmful algal blooms and nutrient enrichment, which can be amplified by aquaculture discharge, industrial emissions, and untreated municipal sewage (Taranger et al., 2015). Together, these pressures highlight the need for integrated methodologies capable of identifying system vulnerabilities before impacts cascade across ecosystems, local economies, and communities. The East Fjords Reyðarfjörður and Seyðisfjörður in Iceland are a Case Study for the ongoing EU-funded project NATALIE (Accelerating and mainstreaming transformative NATure-bAsed solutions to enhance resiLIEnce to climate change for diverse bio-geographical European regions). Within these fjords aquaculture, a new rising industry, plays an important socio-economic role. Part of the project’s core objective has been identifying climate-related natural hazards that may affect society. The approach combines participatory hazard identification, cascading failure modelling, and digital environmental monitoring to better understand how extreme weather events and environmental stressors may disrupt critical community functions. This provides a foundation for developing and co-designing Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) that strengthen local resilience and support adaptive coastal management.
Year: 2026