Adaptation efforts like early warnings and preparedness have cut Europe’s flood deaths and losses

Deaths from flooding in Europe have dropped by 52 per cent since 1950, thanks to solutions like early warning systems and emergency preparedness, a new study from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) has found.

These kinds of non-structural adaptation measures have also cut economic losses from flooding by 63 per cent. This is despite the number of people affected by flooding in Europe increasing by 8 per cent due to climate change over the same period.