Matecna: Floods result of shrinking greenery

The floods that afflicted a number of Slovak cities on Wednesday were caused mostly by increasing amounts of concrete-covered areas in urban centres at the expense of vegetation, the farm ministry warned on Thursday, and said that the government was planning to spend 33 million euros to promote green infrastructure projects. "The flooded streets, and also the extreme heatwaves, are the result of not only global climate change but also specific human activity in cities. If we want to have a pleasant environment in cities and towns, it's necessary to put a stop to the increasing loss of greenery and start building elements of green infrastructure in a coordinated fashion. That means more lawns and parks, green roofs, fountains, ponds and hedge fences," said minister Gabriela Matecna.