Climate Change Adaptation in South Karelia Project

The City of Imatra is a co-implementer in the EU-funded Climate Change Adaptation in South Karelia project managed by LAB University of Applied Sciences. 

On this page we will report on the progress of the City of Imatra's sub-project measures during the project.

The theme of the sub-project is improving stormwater management in the Imatra city area.

In terms of adapting to climate change, stormwater management is key in Northern European cities, as rainfall is expected to increase sharply in northern latitudes.

Stormwater runoff from urban areas has a significant impact on nearby water bodies, as it carries emissions such as heavy metals, nutrients and microplastics.

The purpose of the project is to prevent and prepare for stormwater management challenges caused by increasing rainfall and to produce solutions for better stormwater management in the Imatra city area.

Measures of the Imatra City subproject

• Piloting a stormwater management guide for households
• Pilot models of water-retaining environmental structures will be placed in the urban environment
• Place models of plants that best respond to climate change (including stormwater retention) in the urban environment
• A plan for organizing stormwater management will be implemented, taking into account the current situation's requirements to respond to increasing point-like flow peaks.

The City of Imatra is implementing the project in cooperation with other sub-implementers, utilizing each sub-implementer's experiences and special expertise in the theme. The City is committed to promoting climate change adaptation in cooperation and sharing information with other municipalities in South Karelia, among others.

Climate Change Adaptation in South Karelia Project

Resident survey

A total of 52 responses were received to the stormwater survey conducted in spring 2025. Residents were able to mark the problem areas they had observed on the map and express their wishes regarding stormwater management, methods used, and city communication. The survey results will be used directly in the background work of the planning.

Survey results