Socialist change and planning needed to combat climate change
After weeks of heatwaves with temperatures reaching up to 35°Celsius, a flood wave is currently moving through southern Poland. Regions in the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, and Germany are struggling with ongoing heavy rainfall.
In 2020, experts associated with the Polish Academy of Sciences warned that we should expect more frequent occurrences of droughts, as well as destructive excess water. Even in a single year, both droughts and floods can occur, and what was once considered ‘abnormal’ is becoming the new normal. This is exactly what we are facing today.
Water is seeping into cities, reaching heights of up to one and a half metres. Some streets in Polish cities are closed to vehicular traffic. Many residents have also been given the option to evacuate. In some cities, schools, kindergartens, and nurseries are closed. Residents are working on raising flood defences. In some areas, higher water levels are expected than during the ‘Millennium Flood’ of 1997.
Poland has declared a state of natural disaster.
The intense rainfall and severe flooding currently affecting southern Poland were preceded by heatwaves with temperatures around 30°Celsius, which were unprecedented for this time of year in Poland. From 3-9 September there were six consecutive record-breaking warm days. When the rains finally arrived, their scale reached catastrophic proportions, resulting in the flooding of many towns and the loss of lives, with rescue efforts requiring tremendous effort from emergency services. Meanwhile, Poland still faces reduced water levels in rivers and lakes, termed hydrological drought.
It takes longer for water to soak into dry ground after a heatwave than into ground under normal summer conditions. Droughts, storms, and floods have always occurred, but due to climate change, they are happening more frequently and are more intense.
It’s time for politicians to take climate change seriously.
When asked how the current situation compares to that of 1997, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said: “There is no doubt that local flooding is now a reality. But we are definitely better prepared to act than in 1997, and also better than in 2010”. The government is also preparing a relief package for the affected areas, with a reserve of 1 billion PLN allocated for this purpose. The prime minister added that after discussions with leaders of other affected countries – namely the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, and Romania – he will request the European Union to fund part of the damage.
Unfortunately, however, the Polish politicians have so far been unable to launch effective political initiatives aimed at protecting citizens from the effects of climate change. Successive governments have consistently ignored the need for change and energy transformation.
Polish scientists have issued a dramatic appeal to politicians to finally begin a debate and concrete actions to address the climate crisis. What is the government doing to protect citizens from the human-caused effects of climate change?
After the 1997 flood, substantial work was done, primarily in constructing hydraulic structures. However, at the same time, floodplain areas have been developed, forests have been cut down, and flood-prone areas continue to be built upon. There are not enough restrictions in place.
Already today, droughts are driving up food prices, heatwaves are leading to increased hospitalisations, especially for vulnerable patients, and floods and inundations are causing losses for both the Poland state and ordinary people. According to the experts’ report, there is a risk of rising inflation, which could be a result of damage to agriculture and disruptions in supply chains.
The flood still continues. One of the largest cities, Wrocław, is preparing for a wave. Preparations have been going on continuously for several days. Thousands of people are helping.
There is a lot of work, filling and laying sandbags, securing collections of libraries and universities, moving from cellars to higher floors and saving homeless animals. There are also lots of donations for people and animals, with many people travelling to flood areas to help.
If we are genuinely committed to combating climate change, we cannot accept the constraints of the current system. Instead, the economy must be reoriented from focusing on profits to addressing the needs of people and the environment. Profit-driven capitalism cannot address climate change effectively.
This can only be achieved through socialist measures: the transfer of banks and corporations into public ownership under democratic control and management and a democratically planned economy.
