The European Environment Agency (EEA) reported on Wednesday that extreme weather conditions in Europe have proven deadly, killing close to 195,000 people, and causing economic losses over 560 billion euros, since 1980. Most of these losses, 81% in terms of fatalities and 15% in terms of finances, occurred as a result of heatwaves. The agency also revealed climate modeling’s predictions of intense and frequent heatwaves and urged European leaders to take measures to safeguard aging populations.
Less than 30% of the staggering economic losses of the past 41 years were insured, meaning Europe’s citizens bear the brunt of these financial costs. The EEA announced the launch of an online portal to consolidate data on the impact of extreme weather, emphasizing the need to transition from reaction-based protocols to proactive measures to mitigate the effects of heatwaves, coldwaves, storms, forest fires, floods, and landslides.
The EAA expert, Aleksandra Kazmierczak, spoke with AFP, stating that proactive protection against climatic threats is crucial to prevent further losses. The EEA’s latest report notes that the elderly are highly susceptible to extreme heat, and national adaptation policies rarely cover direct heat impacts such as dehydration or heat stroke, which affect public health and finances as well.
In 2022, there were 53,000 more deaths in Europe than the monthly average of 2016-2019, with Spain registering over 4,600 deaths resulting from extreme heat in June, July, and August alone.
Risk of drought increased five or six-fold and forest fires ravaged twice as much land in 2022 as in previous years due to human-induced climate change, the EEA said. Economic losses could rise to 25 billion euros by the end of the century, from nine billion euros per year due to droughts. The consequences for agriculture are dire, as farm productivity and income decline in the future. Farmers can limit the adverse effects of rising temperatures and droughts by adapting crop varieties, changing irrigation patterns, and altering sowing dates.
Flooding, though less deadly, has resulted in the highest percentage, 56%, of economic losses. The EEA stressed the need for changes in response to the compulsive increase in extreme weather to mitigate risks and protect citizens.
The EAA did not include the summer of 2022’s deaths resulting from heatwaves in their report, pointing out that it would create large variations in the statistics of some nations. Nevertheless, the new data underscores how climate change wreaks havoc on Europe while requiring immediate and comprehensive action from its leaders.
© 2023 AFP
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Extreme weather killed 195,000 in Europe since 1980 (2023, June 14)
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