Climate Coalition: Measures Need to Be Taken to Cope with Extreme Weather Events

Bratislava, September 20 (TASR) - Several systemic and effective measures are needed to cope with extreme weather events, the Climate Coalition told TASR on Friday, adding that the key is to prioritise solutions close to nature, which need to be combined with modern infrastructure measures. The government should also move forward with the adoption of climate legislation and the efficient use of funding for related measures. "We're late in preparing legislation to ensure that the country is prepared for climate change in a number of areas. Billions that are supposed to help make the country more resilient and help people, local authorities and the economy are not being spent. We aren't prepared for crisis situations and only deal with them when they are at our doorstep," said Climate Coalition coordinator Lucia Szabova, adding that the cooperation between the state and local authorities is insufficient and that useful river revitalisation projects haven't been launched. Soft infrastructure measures that use natural processes are needed to cope with floods, according to the organisation. These include, for example, measures to retain water in the landscape, create vegetation areas and strips along rivers, restore wetlands and forest ecosystems, and introduce ecological approaches to agriculture. Water retention features in the form of green roofs or permeable surfaces should be built in towns and villages. These relieve the pressure on drains and can serve as water storage in dry periods. The Climate Coalition considers good landscape and area planning to be essential. am/mcs