Updated:
Monday, July 3, 2006 9:24
The growing frequency and scale of floods due to climate change and the increasing
number of people and property located in flood-prone areas means a higher flood
risk in Europe. Often the wide-ranging scope of catastrophic flooding across
river basins and coastal regions demands a cross-border approach to the problem.
The Commission’s new draft directive to fight floods responds to this challenge.
Floods are natural phenomena, which cannot be fully prevented. During the last
seven years Europe has been hit by more than 100 major floods, including the
catastrophic summer floods of the Danube and Elbe rivers in 2002. Since 1998
flooding has killed 700 people in Europe, displaced half a million others and
caused at least €25 billion in economic losses, not to mention severe environmental
damage when chemical facilities are affected.
The European Commission’s new draft directive builds on the EU’s year
2000 Water Framework Directive link 1, which is the cornerstone of EU water
protection policy. The draft measure proposes a coherent cross-border approach
to minimising the risk of flooding by requiring EU Member States to work together
to identify potential flood zones such as river basins, coastal areas and flash-flood
paths. Each flood zone will be analysed concerning existing and future flood
damage potential on human health, economy, infrastructure and the environment.
Result of these analyses are ‘flood risk maps’ supporting the production
of local, regional or, where necessary, cross-border action plans based on prevention,
protection and preparedness. Creation of these flood risk management plans will
help prevent and limit the damaging effects of floods.
Unveiling the draft directive on 18 January, Stavros Dimas link 2, Commissioner for the Environment, said the new measure will help EU nations “chose the right tools with which to reduce the likelihood of floods and limit their impacts” while ensuring that they cooperate in shared river basins and coastal areas “to improve flood protection all over Europe.”
Updated:
Monday, July 3, 2006 9:24