Flooding in Europe reverses the old thinking about the Climate Change

Flooding in Europe reverses the old thinking about the Climate Change
Watching the flood from the balcony, West Germany, July 2021. DOCKS Collective

Veronika Sherova, 

Environment and Human Rights researcher,  

Global Human Rights Defense. 

Key words: European floods, climate change, right to a healthy environment. 

Since the middle of July, Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg, and the Netherlands have experienced  the most severe floods in decades that have left more than 190 people dead and over 1,300 missing.  The intensity and frequency of heavy rains are increasing worldwide along with global warming. Indeed, for the past two months, the Global North has witnessed more abnormalities in weather. Examples include unusually high temperatures in western Canada and the devastating heavy rains  in New York, London and China.

The population growth associated with rapid industrialization and elevated greenhouse gas  emissions resulted in global warming. While countries have made different contributions to  climate change, it was the developing world that has suffered from the extreme weather events the  most, including heat, droughts, and insect outbreaks. However, the summer 2021 inevitably  changes this perspective.  

The climate change undermines the enjoyment of human rights. The most vital rights are under  the biggest threat – the right to life, the right to freedom to movement and residence, the rights to  work and to own things, and others not less important. To reverse the destabilization of the climate and ensure the full protection of human rights, the existing attempts to cut carbon emissions must be accelerated. 

Making vital steps towards sustainability, such as securing energy efficiency, recycling materials,  and combining heat and power for example, we may still hope to halt any future deterioration in  the climate. No one is safe until everyone is safe. 

Further reading: 

The New York Times, “Europe Flooding Deaths Pass 125, and Scientists See Fingerprints of  Climate Change”, July 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/07/16/world/europe-flooding germany#floods-germany-belgium-europe

Time, “Germany's Flooding Exposed Europe's Climate Change Hubris”, July 2021, https://time.com/6081472/germany-flooding-climate-change

Forbes, “Sensational Images Of European Floods Belied By Declining Deaths & Damages”, July 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelshellenberger/2021/07/19/sensational-images of-european-floods-belied-by-declining-deaths--damages/?sh=3d311184710d/;  

Politico, “How many dead will we accept?’ European floods expose failure to heed climate  warnings”, July 2021, https://www.politico.eu/article/belgium-european-floods-failure-to-heed climate-change-warnings/.