MEP Kristian Vigenin: We Should Invest Not Only in Tackling Climate Change, but Also in Adapting to It

Europe is struggling to adapt to the “new normal” brought by climate change. The series of heatwaves at the beginning of summer is already becoming a recurring trend. The European Union needs to catch up with the measures required to protect people’s lives across the continent.

Statistics showing a rise in deaths in France and Spain, as well as pressure on healthcare systems in several countries due to early and prolonged periods of extreme heat, have focused the attention of MEPs on more effective responses to protect people in both urban and agricultural areas under such conditions.

Europe is already facing the real consequences of climate change and must direct more funding towards adaptation, rather than focusing only on limiting the causes of global warming, Kristian Vigenin, a member of the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, said in an interview with BNT's programme 'Svetat i Nie' (The World and Us) on July 7.

“First of all, we need to realise that we have a real problem — that what we are doing in terms of fighting climate change may eventually produce results, but we are already facing a real problem with higher temperatures in general, and especially in cities,” Vigenin said.

According to him, Europe is the continent warming the fastest, and high temperatures are having an increasingly serious impact on human health.

“There is already data showing that the hotter it is in a city, the more difficult it is for the human body to cope with these temperatures. In cities themselves, where there is more concrete and asphalt, these surfaces heat up and cannot cool down even at night, meaning the body cannot recover,” the MEP said.

He stressed that heatwaves are no longer an exception, but a phenomenon that returns every year and lasts for increasingly longer periods. In his view, the next European financial instruments should include funding for climate adaptation.

“Such funding for so-called climate adaptation must indeed be provided, and this can be done through various instruments where such measures can be included,” Vigenin said.

The Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union should also be changed to place greater emphasis on prevention and preparation for climate risks, the MEP said. According to him, farmers are already facing the consequences of drought, reduced yields and extreme weather events.

Among the necessary measures, he highlighted better water management, investment in resilient crops and improved soil management.

Vigenin said investing in prevention is more effective than constantly compensating producers after damage has already occurred. He also called for better access to insurance instruments for small and medium-sized farmers, as climate risks are the most difficult for them to manage.

“It is far smarter not to compensate people after it has happened, after they have lost their livelihoods, but instead to take measures to prevent this from happening. I believe this is always the cheaper option and the better one for people as well,” the MEP said.

"There is already data showing that the hotter it is in a city, the harder it is for the human body to tolerate those temperatures. And in the cities themselves, since there is more concrete and asphalt, these surfaces heat up and cannot cool down even at night, so the body cannot rest,” the MEP noted.

He emphasized that heat waves are no longer an exception but a phenomenon that recurs every year and lasts longer and longer. In his view, future European financial instruments must include funding for climate adaptation.

“Funding for so-called climate adaptation must be provided—it really must be—and this can be done through various instruments that include such measures,” Vigenin stated.

The European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy must also be amended to place greater emphasis on prevention and preparedness for climate risks, the MEP commented. According to him, farmers are already facing the consequences of drought, reduced yields, and extreme weather events.

Among the necessary measures, he cited better water management, investments in sustainable crops, and better soil management.

According to Vigenin, it is more effective to invest in prevention rather than constantly compensating farmers after damage has occurred. He also called for better access to insurance instruments for small and medium-sized farmers, as climate risks are most difficult for them to manage.

"It is far wiser not to compensate them after the fact, once they have lost their livelihood, but rather to take measures to prevent this from happening in the first place. And I think that’s always the cheaper option and the better one for people,” said the MEP.