Effects of the changing climate and continued environmental degradation will lead to more intense and frequent extreme natural events, including floods, droughts, and cyclones; Climate change is also a threat multiplier for instability, conflict and state fragility leading to migration and displacement, weak governance and geo-political instability; Conflicts and fragility also further affect the vulnerability to disasters; Population growth, primarily in poorer countries and households, as well as rapid urbanisation will increase pressure on natural resources and on economic activities in disaster prone areas; Rapid urbanisation lea ...[+++]ding to the concentration of population and investment in hazard and risk prone areas is also a trend that increases significantly vulnerability (it is estimated that by 2050, 60 to 70 % of the world's population will live in urban areas)[10]; Demand for energy and food is growing and puts pressure on resources like land and water.

Effects of the changing climate and continued environmental degradation will lead to more intense and frequent extreme natural events, including floods, droughts, and cyclones; Climate change is also a threat multiplier for instability, conflict and state fragility leading to migration and displacement, weak governance and geo-political instability; Conflicts and fragility also further affect the vulnerability to disasters; Population growth, primarily in poorer countries and households, as well as rapid urbanisation will increase pressure on natural resources and on economic activities in disaster prone areas; Rapid urbanisation lea ...[+++]ding to the concentration of population and investment in hazard and risk prone areas is also a trend that increases significantly vulnerability (it is estimated that by 2050, 60 to 70 % of the world's population will live in urban areas)[10]; Demand for energy and food is growing and puts pressure on resources like land and water.

Member States should provide clear rules on possible restrictions of activities, for example in protected, flood-prone or seismic-prone areas, and on minimum distances between authorised operations and residential and water-protection areas.

The Commission will promote adaptation particularly in the following vulnerable areas: - cross-border management of floods, fostering collaborative agreements based on the EU Floods Directive; - trans-boundary coastal management, with emphasis on densely populated deltas and coastal cities; - mainstreaming adaptation into urban land use planning, building layouts and natural resources management; - mountain and island areas, with emphasis on sustainable and resilient agricultural, forestry and tourism sectors; - sustainable manage ...[+++]ment of water; combating desertification and forest fires in drought-prone areas.

In all, 19 institutions in 8 Danube countries are participating, and accelerating progress towards shared databases and flood mapping.

EU countries must also produce maps that identify areas prone to significant flood risks and indicate scenarios (based on high, medium or low probability) of a flood occurring there.