European Union states must do more to prevent and prepare for floods under new legislation proposed by the 25-nation bloc's executive Commission on Wednesday. The draft law or directive would require EU countries to identify river basins and coastal areas that are at risk of flooding and lay them out in maps, Reuters reported. States would then be required to draw up flood risk management plans, which would identify measures to reduce the risks and make sure they are not passed on to neighbouring regions up or downstream. "This new directive will help member states choose the right tools with which to reduce the likelihood of floods and limit their impacts," Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said in a statement. The plans will include measures such as restoring wetlands to prevent flooding and informing the public on what to do when a flood occurs. The Commission said floods had caused about 700 deaths, displaced roughly 500,000 people and sparked 25 billion euros ($30 billion) in insured economic losses in Europe since 1998. The risk of more floods will grow in the coming years because of climate change, and the damage is expected to increase as more people are living and setting up businesses in areas that are at risk, it said.
