Report charges that floods pose the greatest climate change-related threat to Helsinki

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According to an Environment Centre report published on Wednesday, floods are the greatest threat to the city of Helsinki posed by the warming climate.
      The report looks into the effects of climate change on the Finnish capital and maps out ways to adapt to the change.
      According to the report, floods are caused by extreme weather phenomena, such as storms and heavy rains, and in the long term also by rising sea levels.
     
The most important targets of protection are the city’s building stock and other infrastructure, such as the electricity and heating networks, traffic, and water supply, the report specifies.
      The report also establishes that with regard to climate change-induced sea and inland water floods, the city’s level of preparedness is fairly good.
      According to the report, for the present, the best way to protect against flooding is to ensure that enough green spaces are included in the urban environment to enable absorption of storm waters into the ground.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Espoo is making preparations against the risk of flooding as sea levels rise (11.3.2011)
  Dozens of areas at risk of flooding found in Helsinki (26.8.2010)
  Metro station flood highlights poor state of Helsinki municipal plumbing (10.11.2009)

See also:
  Helsinki makes provision for future floods caused by storms (12.1.2007)
  Winter storm raises sea levels on Finnish coast to record highs (10.1.2005)

Links:
  Finnish Enivronoment Institute: Floods and Flood Risk Management

Helsingin Sanomat