14
Table 3. contd Reference
Variable
Spatial and temporal domain
28, 29, 34–36
Mean precipitation per wet day Mean precipitation per wet day Extreme precipitation events Extreme river flows
Recent evidence of an increase in most parts of Europe, even in some areas that are becoming drier
32
35
37–41
The frequency of both precipitation and average precipitation per wet day have increased in central and western Europe. In winter, wetter conditions and more extreme precipitation in northern and central Europe and drier conditions in the south, with a slight increase in the occurrence of extreme events No conclusive evidence for a climate-related trend in floods in Europe; no homogeneous trend in extreme river flows, on either a continental or a regional scale (i.e. Dutch Rhine Delta, central Europe, Sweden and British uplands)
Source: Barredo (23).
During the past 10 years, floods in Europe have killed more than 1000 people and affected 3.4 million others (42). Nevertheless, it is difficult to classify which deaths are actually associated with a flood. Immediate flood deaths are best recorded, but deaths during clean-up and longer-term mortality associated with flooding are often not recorded as such. Both EM-DAT and DFO record the listed number of fatalities associated with a given flood event. Fig. 4 shows the death rates associated with flooding in the EM-DAT dataset; the number of flood events that caused these deaths is likely to be higher. The number of deaths appears to be highest in central Europe and the former Soviet Republics. Another marker of the severity of flooding is the total number of people affected. EM-DAT defines the people affected as all those injured, homeless, displaced and evacuated and requiring immediate assistance during the emergency, which does not include those affected in the longer term, which may be greater. This is therefore a less definitive end-point than fatalities, and drawing further inferences from these data is difficult. DFO does not record this information. The number of people affected by flooding is hard to categorize, and no subregional picture emerges. The marker may not be useful for comparing countries, as the inclusion criteria are wide and open to interpretation. Fig. 4. Deaths per million related to flooding and wet mass movement in the WHO European Region, 2000–2011
Data source: EM-DAT (21).