01:29Mohammed Chahim, a member of the European Parliament from the Netherlands who also serves as a vice president of the EUs Socialists & Democrats political group, urged the body to 'take decisive actions' to deal with the disastrous floods across Central Europe reportedly caused by climate change, during a plenary session in Strasbourg on Wednesday.
"I think we have a profound responsibility to enhance the preparedness for such events. And today, unfortunately, we are not talking about the flood of the century, but about a century of floods," Chahim remarked.
"Climate adaptation is not a plan B anymore. It's no longer enough, however crucial, to only mitigate for climate change," he continued, adding that the time to 'learn to live with the consequences' had arrived.
The MEP stressed the need for a more comprehensive climate adaptation strategy in Europe, including improving on infrastructure, building and 'other financial means to compensate.'
"We cannot afford to have these debates annually in the response to disasters. It's time to take decisive actions. We must prevent such tragedies and take our preparedness seriously. Only then, we can build a resilient Europe that really can cope with the effects of climate change," Chahim concluded his speech.
Central Europe has been grappling with severe flooding caused by ongoing heavy rains over the weekend. Countries like Poland, Austria, Romania, Hungary, Germany, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic have been hit hard by the storm. Reports indicate seven deaths in Romania, five in Austria, and three in the Czech Republic.
The flooding has triggered memories of the devastating 1997 floods, which resulted in 54 deaths and forced 162,000 people to evacuate in Poland and the Czech Republic.
'Century of floods' - Dutch MEP calls for 'decisive actions' on climate strategy amid devastating floods across Central Europe
Mohammed Chahim, a member of the European Parliament from the Netherlands who also serves as a vice president of the EUs Socialists & Democrats political group, urged the body to 'take decisive actions' to deal with the disastrous floods across Central Europe reportedly caused by climate change, during a plenary session in Strasbourg on Wednesday.
"I think we have a profound responsibility to enhance the preparedness for such events. And today, unfortunately, we are not talking about the flood of the century, but about a century of floods," Chahim remarked.
"Climate adaptation is not a plan B anymore. It's no longer enough, however crucial, to only mitigate for climate change," he continued, adding that the time to 'learn to live with the consequences' had arrived.
The MEP stressed the need for a more comprehensive climate adaptation strategy in Europe, including improving on infrastructure, building and 'other financial means to compensate.'
"We cannot afford to have these debates annually in the response to disasters. It's time to take decisive actions. We must prevent such tragedies and take our preparedness seriously. Only then, we can build a resilient Europe that really can cope with the effects of climate change," Chahim concluded his speech.
Central Europe has been grappling with severe flooding caused by ongoing heavy rains over the weekend. Countries like Poland, Austria, Romania, Hungary, Germany, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic have been hit hard by the storm. Reports indicate seven deaths in Romania, five in Austria, and three in the Czech Republic.
The flooding has triggered memories of the devastating 1997 floods, which resulted in 54 deaths and forced 162,000 people to evacuate in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Mohammed Chahim, a member of the European Parliament from the Netherlands who also serves as a vice president of the EUs Socialists & Democrats political group, urged the body to 'take decisive actions' to deal with the disastrous floods across Central Europe reportedly caused by climate change, during a plenary session in Strasbourg on Wednesday.
"I think we have a profound responsibility to enhance the preparedness for such events. And today, unfortunately, we are not talking about the flood of the century, but about a century of floods," Chahim remarked.
"Climate adaptation is not a plan B anymore. It's no longer enough, however crucial, to only mitigate for climate change," he continued, adding that the time to 'learn to live with the consequences' had arrived.
The MEP stressed the need for a more comprehensive climate adaptation strategy in Europe, including improving on infrastructure, building and 'other financial means to compensate.'
"We cannot afford to have these debates annually in the response to disasters. It's time to take decisive actions. We must prevent such tragedies and take our preparedness seriously. Only then, we can build a resilient Europe that really can cope with the effects of climate change," Chahim concluded his speech.
Central Europe has been grappling with severe flooding caused by ongoing heavy rains over the weekend. Countries like Poland, Austria, Romania, Hungary, Germany, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic have been hit hard by the storm. Reports indicate seven deaths in Romania, five in Austria, and three in the Czech Republic.
The flooding has triggered memories of the devastating 1997 floods, which resulted in 54 deaths and forced 162,000 people to evacuate in Poland and the Czech Republic.