European Parliament backs new law to create flood combating systems
On April 25, the European Parliament backed new legislation to create systems to combat floods. The move follows repeated warnings by scientists who say floods are likely to increase in Europe as the climate warms.
Floods in Europe have caused about 700 deaths and at least 25 billion euros (us$34.10 billion) in "insured economic losses' since 1998, notes a statement issued by the European Commission, which authored the draft legislation. The new law will require the 27 eu member states to identify the river basins and coastal areas that face risks from floods, develop maps for high-risk areas and also work out flood-management plans for the flood-prone zones.