- Floods in the European Region affected 3.4 million people and killed more than 1000 in the period from 2000 to 2011.
- Climate change is projected to increase the occurrence and frequency of flood events in large areas of Europe.
- Without adaptation, the number of people potentially affected by flooding every year by 2085 could increase from 775 000 to 5.5 million.
Source: Ciscar et al. Physical and economic consequences of climate change in Europe. Proceedings of the national academy of sciences 108(7), 2678-2683
- The intensity of rainstorms has increased throughout Europe during the past 50 years, and it is estimated that heavy rainfall will increase in frequency and intensity in the coming decades.
- Heavy precipitation increases erosion and the likelihood of flooding.
Source: Alcamo J et al. Europe. Climate change 2007: impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. In: Parry ML et al., eds. Contribution of working group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2007:541–580.