One of the more pressing concerns raised by climate change is its effect on extreme weather conditions. Extremes in levels of precipitation levels and in terms of high temperatures can have devastating consequences on human life.
According studies launched on behalf of the European Parliament’s Environment, Public Health and Food Safety committee in 2005, if unchecked, climate change will result in severe heat waves such as the one that swept Europe in occurring almost every second year. We have seen hurricane intensity increase by 70%, terrible floods sweep European plains and severe droughts are now 75% more likely, due to human influence.
The WHO has verified over 22,000 deaths as a result of the 2003 heat wave. 2005, the year of the EU study, had seen 26 tropical storms in the region, 14 of which went on to become hurricanes and 4 of these reached the United States of America. All of these figures are records for European storms and one of the hurricanes, Wilma, reached the highest intensity level ever recorded. Storms causing €1 billion or more in damages are now to be expected every 2-3 years. We have seen a marked increase in extreme rainfall events and, on the other end of the spectrum, the world area suffering from drought has doubled since the 1970s to include much of southern Europe.
All these indicators show that action needs to be taken.
Such action must be two pronged. The ENVI committee here at Lake Constance must come up with innovative ways for Europe to deal with natural disasters and extreme weather conditions as they happen while also working to reduce the liklihood of their occurrence (or at least prevent an increase in such a probability).
I look forward to seeing what they come up with.
Originally published in:
Green Piece, Issue 2 (p.4)
Official paper of the European Youth Summit on Climate Change and Adaption Strategies, Friedrichshafen, August 2011
