70 years of data show adaptation reducing Europe’s flood losses

18.08.2025 - Humans adapt to floods through private measures, early warning systems, emergency preparedness and other solutions. A new attribution study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) shows that such adaptation other than structural flood defences has reduced economic losses from flooding by 63 percent and fatalities by 52 percent since 1950. The study analyses seven decades of historical flood impacts across Europe and demonstrates how adaptation measures have reduced damage over time.