According to the World Bank’s Climate and Country Development Report, Romania is vulnerable to a wide range of natural disasters caused or exacerbated by climate change, especially floods and droughts, exposing the country to significant macro-fiscal risks. Average annual damage from floods could reach 1.7 billion euros, and the drought of 2022, when hundreds of settlements needed tankers to deliver water, was a harbinger of future problems. More than 660,000 Romanians are at risk from storms and 150,000 from floods.

Experts from the World Bank say that vulnerability to flood risk, which is already significant in much of the country, will increase in the face of climate change.

In total, Romania recorded €12 billion in losses (99% of which were uninsured) and more than 1,300 victims from climate and hydrometeorological events since 1980, including 36 river floods that affected 368,000 people, causing 403 deaths and 2.6 billion euros in damages, as well as 11 frosts and 8 heat waves.

According to the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC), more than 660,000 people in Romania are at risk from the storm, with an annual loss of €83 million.

The potential damage to natural, physical and human resources could affect economic growth and deepen inequality, as Romania’s poorer regions and vulnerable populations living in these areas disproportionately suffer from disaster risk.

What else does the World Bank report show:

• Romania is highly vulnerable to floods and droughts, the impact of which is felt in various sectors. Over the past thirty years, Romania has experienced significant inter-annual variability in water availability, with many regions at significant risk of flooding, while others face water scarcity.

• From 1970 to 2021, floods were the most severe natural weather-related disasters by number of events, number of people affected, and total damage. In addition, the average annual damage from floods can reach 1.7 billion euros, affecting 150,000 people in areas where the risk of flooding is significant.

• On the other hand, the availability of water resources in Romania is about half of the EU average and is very close to the water stress threshold.

• In addition, the drought episode that affected all of Europe in the summer of 2022 had a strong impact on Romania—especially crop productivity and water access in some urban areas.

• The drought of 2022 was a harbinger of challenges to come, with hydropower production falling to record lows, nuclear power plants nearly shut down due to reduced water flow in the Danube, and more than 200 small towns needing tankers to supply them. water In addition, hydroelectricity production can be affected by extreme floods that can damage dams and power plants and require the use of reservoirs for flood control.

• In 2022, Romania faced one of the worst droughts on record, disrupting water supplies in 220 settlements, reducing energy production by a third (due to hydraulic power) and other energy sources (nuclear), reducing agricultural production by at least a quarter. , increased forest fires sevenfold and caused restrictions on navigation on the Danube. This trend is expected to continue.

• In 2016, a national risk assessment coordinated by Romania’s General Inspectorate for Emergencies found that 48% of the country’s agricultural land is vulnerable to drought, especially in the southern and southeastern regions.

• Despite its high vulnerability to the risks associated with climate change, Romania is not sufficiently prepared to respond and adapt to them.

The energy sector generates the most greenhouse gas emissions

On the other hand, a World Bank report shows that Romania’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are relatively low and have decreased in recent years.

What else the report says about these emissions:

• Romania accounts for approximately 3% of EU emissions and 1.2% of the bloc’s GDP and 3.8% of its population (in 2019).

• It should be noted that emissions tend to decrease, including per capita, despite population decline.

• But in the absence of policy action, the forecast points to an increase in emissions that risks jeopardizing the achievement of the targets set by the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal (EGP).

• While all sectors of the economy will need decarbonisation, the energy transition is of primary importance.

• In Romania, the energy sector is the main generator of greenhouse gases, responsible for 66% of emissions), underscoring the importance of the energy transition.