The UK government has recently revealed that the country is dangerously exposed to increasingly extreme weather caused by climate change. According to Professor Lord Krebs, who chairs an expert group of the independent Committee on Climate Change (CCC), thousands of lives could be lost due to severe heat waves. Additionally, the lack of spending on flood defences would lead to unnecessary flood damage unless action was taken, experts said. In this context, experts argue that the governments need to cooperate; establishing stricter measures to cut greenhouse-gas emissions, stressing that global warming could have severe implications even for wealthy countries as the UK. Some experts have welcomed some steps of recent years, showing that 1.4 million homes were protected, and no one died, in last winter's floods. However, experts highlight that the UK is still exposed in key areas. The National Audit Office and the CCC's Adaptation Sub-Committee have outlined the importance to invest more on flood prevention. Experts outline that the current approach in England is to the so called 'build and protect', a mechanism used to foster development reducing risks for the future. Data show that In 2003, the warmest spell of weather in Europe for 500 years led to an estimated 2,000 deaths in the UK and tens of thousands across Europe. In relation to that, the government needs to establish concrete measures as the creation of homes and buildings that can be kept cool in the summer as well as warm in winter. Furthermore, the current rate of greenhouse-gas emissions could see temperatures rise by three to five degrees by 2100. This situation could have profound and severe implications, experts say. In this framework, governments need to undertake measures to adapt to climate change and reduce disaster risks: this represents an essential step, experts suggest. The gLAWcal Team EPSEI project Saturday, 29 November 2014 (Source: The Independent)