The response to natural hazards and climate change in Europe

Natural hazards are the cause for terrible disasters, but also the source of important natural advantages, and thus they play a vital role in creating both restrictions and potentials of territorial development. Meanwhile Europe, as compared to the rest of the world, is arguably not prone to the most catastrophic effects of disasters, but this continent is nevertheless affected by several of the most important natural hazards. The resulting risks, including the potential effects of climate change, are analyzed on European scale with the aim to develop appropriate measures to support territorial development. Spatial planning plays an important role in the management of hazards and climate change impacts. The growing importance of natural hazards on the living environment has caused an increase of related national planning practices in European states in the past decades, and is now also receiving attention from the European Union. A stronger incorporation of hazards, climate change impacts and the resulting risks into spatial planning and risk governance is here analyzed on local and national scale and proposals are outlined for the European scale.