The negative impact of climate change has also reached popular European resort cities. Global warming is jeopardizing the natural springs that feed local spas.
This was reported by Euronews.
Rising temperatures, droughts, and floods threaten not only natural resources but also the tourist attractiveness of these places.
“Rising temperatures, floods, and drought can affect the springs' outlets and water flow rates, but there is not yet enough data to help us understand how,” says Naomi O'Toole, public relations coordinator for The Great Spa Towns of Europe.
Experts say that the impact is already being felt as spa towns are increasingly suffering from flooding, including Austria's Baden-Baden-Wien in 2024 and Spa in Belgium in 2021.
To counteract a warming planet, Europe's major resort cities are joining the National Geographic Society's Heritage Conservation program to protect their heritage from the dangers of climate change. They will have access to new tools, technical training, and a network of partners to become more resilient to climate change – and to scale these strategies across Europe.
The program focuses on empowering local communities to develop the skills, tools and solutions to protect their assets. Local leaders will be trained in heritage values, climate science and modeling, risk assessment, and adaptation strategies.
All these measures will not only help resort towns adapt to climate change, but also increase their attractiveness to tourists who increasingly value environmental responsibility.
As EcoPolitic previously reported, 2024 was the hottest year on record in Europe, and also brought the largest floods since 2013.
