From rainfall to resilience: Slovenia’s 2023 record-breaking floods

If events of this nature increase in frequency, insurability may also be affected, and the government may end up taking more of the strain. In the long run, it might be beneficial to consider alterations in land use and river management as integral components of a comprehensive solution. Additionally, examining how risks from catastrophic events are managed within current financial, corporate and public institutions — and identifying potential improvements — would be a prudent approach to enhance overall preparedness and response strategies.

Footnotes

1. GOV.SI. Prime Minister Robert Golob: “We will come out of the post-flood reconstruction as a stronger society”. (2023). Return to article undo
2. Insurance Insider. Slovenia’s Sava secures back-up reinsurance after EUR100mn flood loss. (2023). Return to article undo
3. European Environment Agency. Economic losses from weather — and climate-related extremes in Europe. (2023) Return to article undo
4. Bezak, N., Panagos, P., Liakos, L. & Mikoš, M. Brief communication: A first hydrological investigation of extreme August 2023 floods in Slovenia, Europe. EGUsphere 1–13 (2023). Return to article undo
5. European Flood Awareness System. Flooding in Slovenia — August 2023. (2023). Return to article undo
6. International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River. Slovenia’s Flood Forecasting Success: Minimizing Casualties Through Effective Warning Systems. (2023). Return to article undo
7. Flood forecasting system upgrade for Slovenia’s largest rivers. (2023). Return to article undo
8. Tramblay, Y. & Somot, S. Future evolution of extreme precipitation in the Mediterranean. Climatic Change 151, 289–302 (2018). Return to article undo
9. High Mountain Areas. in The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate: Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (ed. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 131–202 (Cambridge University Press, 2022).) Return to article undo
10. Wilhelm, B. et al. Impact of warmer climate periods on flood hazard in the European Alps. Nat. Geosci. 15, 118–123 (2022). Return to article undo
11. Frontiers. Land Use and Cover Change in the Industrial Era: A Spatial Analysis of Alpine River Catchments and Fluvial Corridors. (2021). Return to article undo
12. Financing Water Supply, Sanitation and Flood Protection: Challenges in EU Member States and Policy Options. OECD Studies on Water. (OECD Publishing, Paris, 2020) Return to article undo

Author

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Neil Gunn

Head of Flood & Water Risk Research

email Email

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