Skip to content
river flood in Germany

What is driving future fluvial flood risk in Europe?

Book The Geography of Future Water Challenges

New: The Geography of Future Water Challenges

Wildfires in the Arctic

Unprecedented fire activity in the Arctic in recent years due to global warming

river flood in the Netherlands

Mixing signals of different catchments blurs climate-related trends in river floods

grain harvest

Longer growing seasons will not offset the global drop in crop yields

Aletsch glacier

At least half of all glaciers will be gone by 2100

coastal city

Subsidence coastal cities contributes more to relative sea level rise than previously thought

flood

What is causing increased disaster losses, societal change or climate change?

Beach and dunes

Coastal flood risk increases much faster than previously thought

Dresden

Dryer summers and heavier rainfall: a bad combination

lightning

More lightning in the north, less in the south

Arctic infrastructure

The costs of damage of permafrost thawing in the Arctic will be about $200 billion by mid-century

rock coast

When sea level rise accelerates, so will the erosion of rock coast cliffs

beach

What high-end sea level rise should we plan for? 1.55 m by 2100, scientists conclude

ambulance in Vienna

Health at the mercy of fossil fuels

peatlands

Rewetting our peatlands not only serves the climate

Flooding

Vast majority of people exposed to flooding are too poor to protect themselves

delta

Human interventions in rivers outpace threats from climate change

biodiversity

Insect biodiversity is changing because of agriculture and climate change

flood disaster

A flaw in classic approach to flooding: the floods of 2021

beach

Each summer will last about half a day longer than the previous one

temperature

Latest projections of future temperatures over Europe

heat stress

More heat stress for cattle, less milk and meat for us

beach tourism

Tourism and energy of southern European islands are vulnerable for climate change

protest

Climate extremes have already changed over Europe

outdoor workers

Heat exposure outdoor workers already leads to productivity loss of 1.7 per cent of GDP

Shanghai

Multi-century sea level rise may lead to unprecedented threats to coastal cities

storm at the coast

Frequency of extreme sea levels will increase dramatically in many parts of the world’s coasts

outdoor workers

Future increase of heat stress productivity losses relatively low in Europe

Edinburgh

Trees can cool European cities up to 12 °C on a hot day

wildfire smoke

Wildfire smoke particles can be deadly, and climate change will increase health risk

wine grapes

Wine quality and global warming: When will winners become losers?

Arctic Sea

Loss of sea ice in the Arctic: Sad testimony of climate change, good news for the economy

Wadden Sea

How will different rates of sea-level rise determine the future of the Wadden Sea?

storm clouds

Intense rainstorms are moving more slowly, causing more floods

adaptation

Adaptation may strongly limit Europe’s economic drought impacts with global warming

beach

Sandy coastlines worldwide under threat of erosion

Flooding

Is Europe’s infrastructure resilient enough for future rainstorms?

world map

19% of the world’s population lives on sinking land

global warming

Fingerprint of climate change in recent European floods

wildfire in Europe

Weather conditions for wildfires have changed in Southern Europe

Flood warning sign

A European perspective on recent floods – Opinion

Mississippi delta

Sea-level rise determines the future of our deltas

wheat

Drought and heatwave crop losses in Europe tripled over the last five decades

Mississippi

In a changing climate, the 100-year flood event is a misleading concept

drought Afghanistan

Extreme drought threatens the lives of millions of Afghans

rock fall warning sign

Climate change already increases the number of rockfalls in the Alps

green roof

The benefits and price tag of greening European cities