Floods in Germany - statistics & facts
Scientific reports across international media have confirmed the extreme heavy rainfall in Germany in July 2021 might not have occurred if climate change had not advanced as much as it has. During July 12-15, following three weeks of already warm and rainy weather, towns and villages around the German Ahr and Erft rivers largely collapsed as the soaked earth underneath gave way and river banks could no longer hold. The rivers overflowed, flooding residential areas. Water mixed with mud coursing through streets caused both mass destruction and fatalities in the states of Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and Saxony.
With global warming contributing significantly to summer precipitation levels, Europe's largest economy is possibly facing increased future risk of flooding disasters if things continue as they were. Complex scientific studies attempt to correlate current climate change indicators with risk factors and predict outcomes to avoid loss of life and destruction as seen in Germany in July. Experts are also talking about not just rebuilding, but new types of construction being necessary to protect real estate located close to rivers.
Germany has made significant progress since the 1990s in several areas related to environmental protection. The number of deaths due to air pollution has fallen, as have CO2 emissions. However, global warming remains at worrying levels and it will not disappear overnight, which, according to scientists, increases the risk of more flash flooding (sudden strong floods caused by heavy rainfall) in the near future. The danger of flooding was rated differently among age groups in Germany, with 13 percent of those aged under 29 years considering the danger very high.
With global warming contributing significantly to summer precipitation levels, Europe's largest economy is possibly facing increased future risk of flooding disasters if things continue as they were. Complex scientific studies attempt to correlate current climate change indicators with risk factors and predict outcomes to avoid loss of life and destruction as seen in Germany in July. Experts are also talking about not just rebuilding, but new types of construction being necessary to protect real estate located close to rivers.
Germany has made significant progress since the 1990s in several areas related to environmental protection. The number of deaths due to air pollution has fallen, as have CO2 emissions. However, global warming remains at worrying levels and it will not disappear overnight, which, according to scientists, increases the risk of more flash flooding (sudden strong floods caused by heavy rainfall) in the near future. The danger of flooding was rated differently among age groups in Germany, with 13 percent of those aged under 29 years considering the danger very high.
