Climate change will most likely lead to us increasingly being affected by natural disasters in the future. To minimize the impact of this, society must act faster and more forcefully. In recent years, the number of reported natural disasters has increased sharply. As of 2019, it has been steadily around 20,000 to 27,000 cases per year. The causes of the damage vary, but most experts point to climate change as the main reason for this increase. A clear example of this is the torrential rain in Gävle that occurred in 2021. – There, people are well aware that such things can happen. Now it’s up to the rest of the country to understand that what happened there can happen elsewhere too, says meteorologist and natural damage specialist Martin Hedberg. Municipalities in Sweden are preparing In a recently published report from Sweden’s municipalities and regions (SKR), which deals with climate change, the government’s responsibility to push the issue is emphasized. The report points out that faster construction and planning processes must be implemented and that financial support is needed to minimize the effects of climate change. The municipalities in Sweden are also preparing to deal with damage caused by climate change. Umeå municipality is an example of this. The municipality works actively to prevent a river that is centrally located in the city from flooding and causing damage to properties. During the autumn of 2020, these damages cost the municipality SEK 100 million. Berit Andersson, one of the residents of Umeå who was affected by the damage, now hopes that the municipality’s work to improve the protection of the area will prevent large flows of water from causing damage to her property again. – I remember the flood with horror and even if I don’t worry directly, there is something in the back of my mind that it could happen again and I don’t want to be a part of that, she says. “Then it’s too late” Society’s efforts to deal with climate change must happen faster. Experts worldwide agree on this. If we do not act now, we will suffer more and more serious natural damage in the future. It is therefore important that society takes its responsibility and takes measures to minimize the effects of climate change. – Once such things have happened, you can’t regret it because then it’s too late, says Martin Hedberg. See the interview with Berit Andersson in the player above.
t4-general
Natural damage is increasing – the state is warned: “Remember the floods with horror”
