Denmark has committed DKK 912.1 million to coastal protection for 2026–2029, while a much larger national plan still lacks a political agreement. The government proposed DKK 14.9 billion of state funding for 2029–2040 on 23 February 2026. No cross-party agreement on it had been found by 3 November 2026, five months after the June 2026 change of government.
What is paid for now
The October 2025 acceleration package funds 14 state preliminary investigations and screenings, a strength assessment of about 1,200 km of dikes and DKK 186 million for storm-surge analyses in the capital region up to 2032. The first preliminary investigations are expected to finish in early 2027. In 2026 Miljøstyrelsen has DKK 164 million for state co-financing of coastal projects. A separate agreement of 2 February 2026 puts about DKK 1.3 billion into sand nourishment along 112 km of the West Coast to 2029.
What is not
Under the proposed national plan the state would pay 85% of construction and municipalities 15%. Storm-surge protection for about 60 km of coast around Copenhagen is currently estimated at DKK 12–13 billion, to be built over 30–40 years, and its financing model is not settled. Copenhagen's 2026 budget sets aside DKK 113 million for the first phase, and its release was on the Finance Committee agenda for 3 November 2026.
Rising pressure
DMI projects cloudburst intensity up 90% by 2071–2100 under a high-emissions scenario. On 27 June 2026 Denmark recorded 37.0°C, its highest temperature since national measurements began in 1874. Urban flood protection has also changed: Copenhagen's cloudburst projects not started by 1 January 2027 may be tariff-financed only to a 10-year event.
How exposed Denmark's water system is to drought, flood and heat, what DMI's two atlas editions project and which adaptation programmes are funded are covered in the full report. The full report, Climate Resilience: Drought and Flood Risk in Denmark, is available for USD 249. For a free overview, see Denmark Country Snapshot.