From the Czech Republic to Spain, Europe has been plagued by devastating floods this autumn.
Climate scientists agree that severe flooding was probably driven by climate change resulting in record-breaking rainfall. Warmer temperatures increase the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere, especially over warmer oceans, which increases the amount of rainfall. Europe is projected to experience a greater frequency of severe floods, potentially with dire consequences to economies and livelihoods.
It’s challenging to reduce flood risk in Europe because of the high density of population and economic activities within flood-prone lands, as well as substantial cultural heritage. Flood risk has increased in Europe largely because people have moved into protected areas that were formerly flood prone, referred to as the “levee effect”.
