Scientists have issued an appeal to the Sejm regarding the flooding in Poland. The letter was signed by the experts from the Green REV Institute Council: Prof. Piotr Skubała, Prof. Andrzej Elżanowski, and Dr. Marzena Cypryańska-Nezlek.

„The recent days in Poland are a textbook example of a week passing in the era of a changing climate. Torrential rains and flash floods, which are currently affecting southern Poland, were preceded by heatwaves with temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius—unprecedented in Poland at this time of year. From September 3rd to 9th, there were six record-breaking warm days in a row. When the rains finally came, their scale reached catastrophic proportions, resulting in the flooding of many towns and the loss of lives, saved only through the tremendous efforts of emergency services. At the same time, Poland continues to experience low water levels in rivers and lakes, referred to as hydrological drought.

This is not an isolated anomaly. It’s the new reality that scientific communities and social actors have been warning about for a long time. Its consequences will be multifaceted: from a reduced quality of life and rising living costs, to threats to citizens’ health and lives, irreversible damage to Poland’s natural environment, increasing economic costs, and social destabilization. Already, due to drought, food prices are rising, heatwaves are contributing to increased hospitalizations, particularly among vulnerable patients, and floods and flash floods are causing losses for the state, businesses, and Polish citizens.

We have been warning about this, yet we see no effective political initiative aimed at protecting citizens from the effects of climate change. For years, successive governments have consistently ignored the need for change, postponing the energy transition, at best, indefinitely. It is now unfolding without control, driven more by global megatrends than by deliberate action. This transition is being carried out by citizens, local communities, and entrepreneurs, who see the need for bottom-up changes to reduce emissions. Both at the national and local levels, in towns and villages, there is a lack of scientifically informed strategies for adapting to climate change—such as dealing with the droughts and flash floods we are witnessing this week. We are lacking a serious approach to this challenge and its systemic resolution. Meanwhile, this issue will cast an even larger shadow on the lives of all Polish citizens with each passing day.

Therefore, we call for a serious parliamentary debate on ways to address the climate crisis, accelerate the decarbonization of the entire Polish economy, and prioritize adaptation to climate change. We loudly ask the question: What is the state doing to protect citizens from the human-caused climate crisis? The events of last week are a clear signal that there is no time to delay this discussion. Without it, it will be difficult to ensure a safe future for all of us.”

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