Europe seeks to improve response to extreme crises

This year, the European Environment Agency, in its first Climate Risk Assessment in Europe, highlighted 36 important “climate risks”, with serious human, economic and political consequences in a Europe that is falling behind in its duties when it comes to respond to growing environmental threats.

In turn, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, commissioned the former Finnish president, Sauli Niinisto, to coordinate a report that would serve as guidance on the Union’s way of acting, not only in the face of climate threats but also to all types of crises, whether health or defense.

European security

Security has become a key element of European politics, there are many challenges, the war on European soil, cyber attacks, fake news and its effects on citizens, as well as the climate crisis, with increasingly recurring episodes. “In recent years our lives have been interrupted by the pandemic, war has returned to Europe and extreme weather events are the new form of climate change,” said Von der Leyen. “This same year several European countries have been affected by floods, the last and most tragic, in terms of human life, has happened in Spain, but other countries in central Europe and the Balkans have also been seriously affected by these phenomena. ”.

Precisely, one of the main recommendations included in the security report, with regard to the preparation of civilians in the face of natural crises, is that the EU “must strive to increase household preparedness” in such a way that each European citizen “can take care of himself for a minimum of 72 hours.”

Climate risks

Added to this report on the safety of European citizens is the first European Climate Risk Assessment carried out by the European Environment Agency, which, among other statements, ensures that Europe is already the continent that is warming most rapidly. specifically double the world average. Consequently, it calls for “accelerating” the response to growing environmental crises.

Continuing with the report, these climatic episodes, combined with environmental and social risk, represent great challenges throughout Europe. Specifically, they compromise food and water security, energy security, financial security and stability, the health of the population in general and of outdoor workers in particular.

In turn, this affects social cohesion and stability. At the same time, climate change is affecting terrestrial systems, freshwater bodies and marine ecosystems. Examples include major droughts causing water and food insecurity, service disruptions to critical infrastructure, or threats to financial markets and stability.

“Europe faces urgent climate risks that are increasing faster than our level of preparedness as a society is growing,” summarizes EEA Executive Director Leena Ylä-Mononen.

The report also highlights the urgency of guaranteeing European solidarity mechanisms in the face of phenomena such as prolonged droughts that already pose, especially in southern Europe, a significant threat to agriculture, food security and water supply.

It seems evident that security will be one of the central axes on the work agenda of the new European Commission, which began its journey this December.