Europe Archives - Disasters News

May302025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Rethinking Disaster Preparedness: Why Behavioural Insights Matter

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

When disaster strikes, having early warnings and strong infrastructure saves lives. But often, even when people know the risks, they don’t act. Why? The answer lies in human behaviour. In March 2025, Myanmar was hit by a massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake. Survivors like Ma Phyu Sin Win were grateful for emergency kits basic things like food, solar lamps, and hygiene products. “Every little item helps during this time,” she said. But the damage went far beyond broken buildings. Around 1.6 million structures were exposed to intense shaking, many not built to survive it. Disasters like this are becoming more frequent and more destructive. In 2024 alone, extreme weather caused $320 billion in economic losses. But the real damage continues long after the floodwaters recede or the ground st...

May302025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Warming world: 80% chance next five years break heat records

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment, Fact Check

Europe and the world are heading toward uncharted climate territory. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warns there's now an 80% chance that at least one of the next five years will break 2024’s record as the warmest year ever. Even more striking: there’s an 86% chance that at least one of those years will temporarily cross the critical 1.5°C warming threshold set by the Paris Agreement. While these temperature spikes may be short-lived, they’re still troubling. The latest WMO update, produced by the UK’s Met Office, forecasts a 70% chance that the 5-year average from 2025–2029 will exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels a sharp jump from 47% last year. The report stresses that every fraction of a degree matters, pushing the planet closer to climate tipping points. The Arc...

May232025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Plastic Recycling Industry in EU Faces Existential Crisis as Closures Mount

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

The European Union plastic recycling sector is teetering on the edge of collapse, hit hard by a combination of economic pressures, rising imports, and surging operational costs. With plant closures doubling in 2024 and continuing into 2025, thousands of green jobs are now at risk posing a significant challenge to the EU’s green transition strategy. Sharp Decline in Production Despite €5 Billion Investment Between 2020 and 2023, Plastics Recyclers Europe reports that the sector attracted €5 billion in investments aimed at meeting EU sustainability targets. Yet despite this significant funding, recycling rates have started to drop. The reasons: rising production costs, soaring energy bills, and growing competition from cheap, low-quality imported plastic much of it with questionable e...

May232025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Europe Faces €28.3 Billion in Annual Agricultural Losses Due to Climate Change 70% Uninsured: Study

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

A new report reveals that climate change is causing direct and escalating damage to Europe’s agriculture, with annual losses averaging €28.3 billion roughly six per cent of the continent’s total agricultural and livestock output. Startlingly, nearly 70 per cent of these climate-related losses are uninsured or uncompensated, leaving farmers financially exposed to disasters like droughts, floods, and hailstorms. Published jointly by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Commission the report marks the first comprehensive review of agricultural insurance systems across all 27 EU member states. It paints a grim picture: unless rapid reforms are enacted, uninsured losses in European agriculture could rise from 42 per cent to as high as 66 per cent by 2050. Insurance and risk...

Apr162025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

2024 Turns Europe into Climate Flashpoint Record Heat Melting Glaciers Fiery Summers Alert

Breaking News, Climate Actions

The year 2024 etched itself into Europe’s climate history as the warmest year ever recorded unveiling the growing threat of uneven warming, violent weather swings, and rapid environmental degradation, according to The European State of the Climate 2024 report. A stark east-west climate divide unfolded across the continent scorching dry heat in the east, while the west weathered unusually warm, soggy seasons. Overall, 45% of the year’s days were significantly warmer than average, and 12% were the hottest ever, pushing Europe further into its position as the fastest-warming continent, said Florence Rabier, Director-General of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Averaged over five years, Europe's temperature is now 2.4°C above pre-industrial levels a milestone with dire...

Apr152025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

New Study Finds Europe Adapts Better to Cold Than Heat

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

April 15 – Europe has made more progress in adapting to cold weather than to heatwaves over the last two decades, according to a new study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), in collaboration with the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre. The research published in The Lancet Planetary Health analyzed data from over 800 regions in 35 countries across Europe between 2003 and 2020. The findings reveal that the risk of death from cold temperatures dropped by 2% per year, while deaths linked to extreme heat also declined, but only by 1% annually. This suggests that while Europeans are increasingly resilient to cold the response to rising heat threats remains slower and less effective. To reflect the diverse climate and vulnerability across Europe, researchers introduce...