Implications for society
The risk of natural disasters does not only depend on the climate
The climate is not the only factor which determines to what extent our society is at the risk due to natural disasters. Changes in society play an important part as well. As a consequence of increased human settlement pressure, construction in areas that are more exposed to potential danger has increased.
In addition, improvements in the standard of living imply that property of ever increasing value is exposed to danger. The potential for damage has grown, and society has become more sensitive to natural disasters. Depending on future social developments, the effects of climate change could either intensify or be mitigated.
Climate change demands flexible solutions
The time scale of the expected climate change is comparable to the planning horizon for new buildings, infrastructure, and land use decisions. Where planning is concerned, it will become ever more important to take into account the changing conditions of weather, climat and natural disasters. This is especially true for constructions that provide protection from natural disasters.
Since there are still many uncertainties concerning the future development of the climate, it is at present difficult to define measures, which are concrete and universally valid. At the moment, the focus should therefore be on flexible solutions that are geared towards present needs and that can be adapted to more severe future requirements . There are solutions already available that provide better protection for little extra expenditure, and are useful to society regardless of climate change. |
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