According to a report on floods and water scarcity in European countries, released today, the European Environment Agency recommended "reducing human exposure to hazards" arising from floods. "This can be done through various actions, such as reducing development in areas at high risk of flooding, water scarcity, vulnerability to wildfires and coastal erosion, and reconsidering the relocation of these areas", says the 175-page report. According to the agency, 12% of the European population lives in regions likely to flood and 11% of hospitals are in these areas, while 30% of the population in southern Europe lives in areas with water scarcity and under constant pressure due to lack of water. The European agency also counted that 15% of industrial infrastructure is in flood risk zones. In recent years, Portugal has registered a situation of persistent extreme drought in several regions of the country, namely in the Alentejo, while cities like Lisbon end up being highly conditioned by floods. At the end of 2022 and in March 2023, several parts of Lisbon, including Alcântara and some parts of Loures and Algés, became completely impassable due to rain and floods. Throughout the report released today, the European Environment Agency warned that national authorities must take into account the effects of climate change and start acting in accordance with the adverse weather events that they have registered. Simultaneously, at European level, the agency considered that policies to mitigate the effects of climate change will also help reduce part of the risk to populations. Between 1980 and 2022, 5,582 people died as a result of floods. Read Also: Floods? Temer wants to bet on the "prevention" of climate events in Brazil (Portuguese version)