Weather-related disasters could affect around two-thirds of the European population annually by the end of this century. This could result in a 50-fold increase in fatalities compared to today if no measures are taken, according to a new study by the Joint Research Centre – the science and knowledge service of the European Commission.
The study, which has just been published in the Lancet Planetary Health, combines information on documented disasters with hazard and demography projections until 2100. The weather-related disasters considered are those with the greatest impacts – heatwaves and cold spells, wildfires, droughts, river and coastal floods and windstorms.
Further information: Europe to be hit hard by climate-related disasters in the future