Catastrophic flooding in Covasna: "A climate alarm signal"

In Covasna County, it has rained for two and a half months in the last week, according to Environment Minister Mircea Fechet. The affected areas were severely hit by floods, and the waters reached, in some cases, the roofs of houses. Almost 300 households were flooded, and hundreds of people were evacuated.

• Climate change is becoming a reality

The minister emphasizes that this episode is an alarm signal regarding the acceleration of climate change in Romania. "Extreme weather is no longer a rarity, but is becoming commonplace," Fechet said in a Facebook post, drawing attention to the increased vulnerability of certain regions.

• Field assessment and massive mobilization

The minister traveled to the affected areas, along with Prime Minister Cătălin Predoiu, DSU head Raed Arafat, and State Secretary Bogdan Despescu, to assess the damage and propose immediate intervention measures. The villages of Boroşneu Mare and Băcel were among the most severely affected, transformed into true "extends of water". Hundreds of people - from firefighters and gendarmes, to volunteers and workers of Apelor Române - intervened non-stop to limit the damage, erect temporary dams, and evacuate water from yards and roads.

• Urgent measures and investments in infrastructure

The minister announced that the authorities will allocate additional funds for: strengthening dams; restoring riverbeds; flood protection infrastructure.

At the same time, the affected communities will receive support for reconstruction, and the families hit by the trouble will not be left behind. "The teams will remain in the field as long as necessary,” Fechet said.

• Climate adaptation, a national emergency

The Minister of the Environment believes that it is time for climate change adaptation to become a national priority. "I believe that the time has come to treat climate change adaptation as a national priority,” said Mircea Fechet.

This involves not only emergency interventions, but also prevention, education and investments in a resilient infrastructure.