Climate-related economic losses

Climate-related economic losses cannot be estimated accurately due to various factors. The most significant extreme weather events in Poland are droughts, floods, strong winds and storms, which cause the majority of economic losses, and heat waves, which directly threaten human health, particularly in cities. Recently, an increase in the number of days with heavy rainfall has been observed, especially in southern Poland, as have increases in prolonged dry periods, severe winds and storms. However, it is much easier to gather data on extreme weather events than it used to be, even at the local level. The most catastrophic events in recent years were the floods in 1997 and 2010 and the drought in 2006. The level of economic losses due to such events depends on the localisation of the event and the value of the infrastructure affected, which is higher in richer regions. The insurance sector’s role has increased. The Odra River Basin flood protection project was developed jointly with the World Bank, and in 2020 the biggest hydrotechnical initiative in Poland, a dry polder to protect the Odra Valley, was completed, later mitigating the results of the flood in 2024. In accordance with a new 2024 law, more cities are obligated to prepare protection plans for adverse weather events. Meanwhile, the warning system has been improved, and citizens receive mobile alerts from the government about dangerous events. Furthermore, the government is supporting actions to reduce concrete coverage and develop green areas in cities.