Europe is not prepared for rapidly growing climate risks: EU report

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Climate risks have already reached critical levels and could become "catastrophic" for Europe without urgent action, according to the European Environment Agency.

In its first-ever European Climate Risk Assessment, the agency warned that Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world, and climate risks are threatening its energy and food security, ecosystems, infrastructure, water resources, financial stability, and people’s health.

Many of these risks have already reached critical levels and could become "catastrophic" without urgent and decisive action, said the report, released late Sunday.

"Extreme heat, drought, wildfires, and flooding, as experienced in recent years, will worsen in Europe even under optimistic global warming scenarios and affect living conditions throughout the continent," the agency noted.

Europe’s policies and adaptation actions are not "keeping pace with the rapidly growing risks," according to the assessment.

"In many cases, incremental adaptation will not be sufficient and, as many measures to improve climate resilience require a long time, urgent action may be needed even on risks that are not yet critical," said the report.

Mentioning that some regions in the continent are hotspots for multiple climate risks, the study revealed that southern Europe is particularly at risk from wildfires and the impacts of heat and water scarcity on agricultural production, outdoor work, and human health.

Leena Yla-Mononen, the agency’s executive director, said: "To ensure the resilience of our societies, European and national policymakers must act now to reduce climate risks both by rapid emission cuts and by strong adaptation policies and actions."