Reinforcing the dikes in Schleswig-Holstein costs tens of millions of euros every year.
Climate dykes are supposed to protect the people between the North and Baltic Seas from rising sea levels.
At the moment, dykes on the North Sea have to be reinforced to a length of 74 kilometers.
Kiel - The forecast rise in sea level poses particular challenges for the coastal state of Schleswig-Holstein.
"Currently in Schleswig-Holstein on the North Sea around 74 kilometers of state protection dikes have to be strengthened," said a spokesman for the environment ministry of the German press agency.
They are being expanded into so-called climate dikes.
Of the total of 433 kilometers of state dikes, 362 are on the North Sea.
A total of around 84 million euros (2020: 89 million euros) is expected to be spent on coastal protection in 2021, including 61 million on dike reinforcement (2020: 66).
According to the Ministry of the Environment, almost a quarter of the country is located in coastal lowlands that are at risk of flooding.
More than 350,000 people live there.
Specifically, the nearly six-kilometer-long dike in front of the Hauke-Haien-Koog in North Frisia is currently being strengthened.
Dike reinforcements are also planned on Eiderstedt, Föhr, Helgoland, on the Eiderdamm and in Friedrichskoog.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, last winter did not cause any significant damage to the dikes in the North and Baltic Seas due to the lack of storm surges.
There is also work to be done on the Baltic coast.
The largest project is the reinforcement of an approximately 11.5-kilometer-long dike in front of the northern lake lowlands on the island of Fehmarn.
The Wendtorf sewer in the provost near Kiel is currently being strengthened for several million euros.
In response to the challenges of climate change, Schleswig-Holstein developed the concept of the so-called climate dike.
This concept could compensate for a sea level rise of up to two meters in several construction phases, and a rise of one meter in the first construction phase, said the spokesman.
The costs for this are around 20 to 40 percent higher than for traditional dike reinforcements.
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Since 2009 there has been a so-called special framework plan for coastal protection projects as a result of climate change from the federal government and coastal states.
Schleswig-Holstein's share is 8.2 million euros per year.
The federal and state governments assumed a global mean rise in sea level between 0.61 and 1.10 meters by the end of this century, said the ministry spokesman.
"Storm surge water levels on the German coasts will be higher in line with the mean rise in sea level." Dpa