Europe faces overwhelming losses and destruction from climate-related disasters as the continent is warming faster than any other region in the world

2023 was the hottest year on record with disasters across Europe totaling more than €77 billion.
2023 wildfires estimates of direct damage were equivalent to €2 billion in Greece, €1 billion in Italy, and around €913 million in Spain.
Wildfire response accounts for over one-third of response costs in the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) budget.
Under a 3°C warming scenario, economic losses are projected to increase to around €175 billion, or 1.38% of EU GDP.

There is an urgent need for Europe to adapt to the increasing frequency and intensity of climate extremes, as it warms faster than any other region globally. The economic losses from climate-related events are predicted to rise significantly, impacting communities and economies.

Funded by the European Commission, three analytical reports on prioritising investments in disaster and climate resilience, costing climate change adaptation, and advancing financial resilience have been developed in collaboration with the World Bank. The study for the reports covered multiple hazards, including floods, wildfires, earthquakes, and landslides, with a focus on critical infrastructure and emergency response systems. The reports will provide decision-makers and practitioners with evidence, data, and tools to inform policy and investment efforts in disaster risk management.

New reports

From Data to Decisions: Tools for making smart investments in prevention and preparedness.

Emphasises the importance of targeted and strategic investments in critical sectors to enhance resilience against disaster and climate risks in Europe.

Climate Adaptation Costing in a Changing World_banner

Climate Adaptation Costing in a Changing World" highlights the importance of adaptation pathways in building resilient futures in the face of evolving climate risks.

Highlights the importance of adaptation pathways in building resilient futures in the face of evolving climate risks. The report emphasises the need for Europe to scale up climate adaptation investments due to the devastating impacts and economic losses of climate change.

Financially Prepared: the case for pre-positioned finance.

Addresses the financial impact of wildfires and droughts in the EU, identifying the funding gap between available and needed finance. The report highlights the importance of pre-positioned finance to improve Europe's financial preparedness for these natural disasters.

New! eLearning courses with the findings from the study For boosting your strategic planning and decision-making skills we offer online trainings on disaster and climate resilience. Discover practical tools and case studies to assist prioritisation of investments and approaches to climate adaptation costing and protection of communities, for a sustainable future. With the assistance of World Bank, based the findings of the study and reports, two new online training courses are available on the EU Academy, the European Commission’s eLearning platform. The two self paced modules are each of around 45 minutes and in English. Access is open and requires no pre-registration. Links: Module 1: Tools for Smart Investments in Prevention and Preparedness Module 2: Approaches to identify climate change adaptation needs, costs and benefits within the civil protection sector and other critical sector

Last updated: 24 September 2024

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Related information

The publication of the reports was marked by a launch event held in Brussels 15 May 2024 and here presentation from the event.
Infographic for the study drawing on some of the key results across all three reports.

Reports from 2021 study

The report series is a follow-up to the successful collaboration between the Commission and the World Bank in 2020-2021, which resulted in a study and reports that demonstrated the economic value of investing in disaster resilience, enhanced financial preparedness, and capacity-building. Reports with findings from this first phase of the study are listed here below.

Understanding the Needs of Civil Protection Agencies and Opportunities for Scaling up Disaster Risk Management Investments

Investment in Disaster Risk Management in Europe Makes Economic Sense

Financial Risk and Opportunities to Build Resilience in Europe

Training material

In addition to the reports, DG ECHO, with the assistance of the World Bank, offers training material that draws on the findings of the 2021 study.

E-learning course

Developed by DG ECHO, an online eLearning course is available with open access on the EU Academy. The 1-hour self-paced course focuses on the risk landscape of the EU and the positive effects of disaster prevention and preparedness

Online workshop series

This series of three training modules (120 min each) explore the analytical methods applied in the study. You hear the experts involved providing more background of the study and its findings.