Floods as a wake-up call: A call to action for us all

When does intense rain turn into a disaster? When will a flood become the so-called "flood of the century"? Our close neighbors in Poland and the Czech Republic are currently facing a new "flood of the century", and a state of emergency has also been declared in Lower Austria. In eastern Germany, they also recorded rising water levels, although the situation is not so dramatic.

So how do we determine the scale of a disaster? Is it by the amount of precipitation, the number of deaths or the extent of property damage? Three years ago, when floods hit half of Europe, the death toll rose to more than 220 people, with at least 188 of them dead in Germany.

The rain is currently affecting Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Romania—five EU member states experiencing another serious "flood of the century". So far, the situation has claimed 17 lives and several people are still missing. It is difficult to determine clear causes. But how did this disaster happen?

There can be many factors that contribute to such flood events. Changes in climatic conditions are manifested by extreme weather fluctuations, with heavy rains becoming more frequent and intense. It is also important to take into account the state of local infrastructure and the preparedness of countries to handle such extreme situations. Urbanization without an adequate sewage system can make the situation even worse when the water has nowhere to drain, leading to rapid accumulation and spread in the surrounding area.

These floods also highlight the need for international cooperation in climate action, disaster prevention and response. The ongoing discussion about mitigating the impacts of climate change and increasing society's resilience to these challenges is more than timely. (Co2AI)