The provision of €10bn in cohesion funding Central and Eastern European countries devastated by floods this week will help their regions rebuild and recover. But climate activists say that the real answer to avoiding such extreme weather lies in tackling climate change.

Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski said on Friday a pledge worth 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) from the European Union to help the country recover from its worst flooding in at least two decades may not be enough to cover its losses.

Volunteers in the Polish town of Nysa fortified floodwalls to stem swollen rivers on Tuesday after heavy rain and flooding round central Europe that has killed at least 18 people. Rivers were still spilling banks in the Czech Republic,

A massive flood wave moving across Central Europe is threatening new areas and raising concerns among residents and officials.