UNEP WARNS: FLOODS COULD UNLEASH LONG-BURIED TOXIC CHEMICALS
Climate change isn’t just bringing more floods—it’s threatening to dig up toxic chemicals buried decades ago, putting millions at risk.
The latest UNEP Frontiers 2025 report sounds the alarm: as floods become more frequent and severe, they can stir up sediments and debris, releasing hazardous chemicals into cities and food systems. These substances, once banned and forgotten, could now resurface, threatening human health and ecosystems—especially for vulnerable groups like the elderly.
UNEP urges urgent action:
Strengthen flood management with both traditional methods (like polders and retention basins) and nature-based solutions (such as sponge cities).
Regularly test for pollutants in flood-prone areas.
Redesign urban spaces to be greener, more inclusive, and resilient.
Improve disaster risk management and ensure older populations have access to climate information.
The report also warns that melting glaciers may awaken dormant microbes, adding new health threats, while ageing dams pose additional risks for downstream communities. With heat-related deaths among seniors up 85% since the 1990s, UNEP calls for smarter planning to protect the most vulnerable.
#ClimateChange #FloodRisks #ToxicChemicals #UNEP #EnvironmentalHealth #DisasterPreparedness #ProtectTheVulnerable
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