As this edition of the magazine goes to press, protestors in Spain are issuing loud calls for the resignation of Carlos Mazón, the conservative head of the regional government in Valencia, who, on the day of the country’s recent, historic floods, was reportedly occupied in a long lunch with a journalist that, local media suggests, did not finish until the evening. By the time he arrived at the emergency command centre later that night, towns and villages were already overwhelmed, after the flooding triggered one of Spain’s worst ever natural disasters.

Earlier in the week, angry crowds of people threw objects and mud at the usually popular King Felipe VI, during a visit to Paiporta, further underlining public sentiment following the devastating floods. Back in the capital, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was also pelted with mud by angry protestors, as the death toll rose to 217 in the southern and eastern parts of the country. And in the largest gathering of protestors since the start of the crisis, some 130,000 people gathered in the streets of the regional capital, furious at the lack of warning from authorities about the impending inundations.

Questions are being asked about the speed with which the regional government responded to the emergency, with the focus centred on the authorities’ handling of the crisis, and the efficacy of the systems in place to manage such emergencies.

Amid ongoing recovery efforts and a rising death toll, these events highlight the severe consequences of disaster alert system failures – be that a fault in the technology itself, or with the processes or individuals in charge of operating them.

In addition to the loss of life, the catastrophic flash flooding has caused widespread property and infrastructure damage across the Valencia and Castilla-La Mancha communities in particular, with additional damage in Andalusia, Murcia and the Balearic Islands. Additional storms over the Almería Province also produced large hailstones and material losses, in particular in the El Ejido and Dalías municipalities. Total economic and insured losses are anticipated to reach into the billions.

A new Swiss Re Institute study into the flood protection offered by measures such as dykes, dams and flood gates is a timely reminder of the savings – in terms of both lives and infrastructure – that prevention can offer. The financial benefits of flood protection can far exceed costs for rebuilding after a disaster.

Economic losses caused by natural catastrophes reached an estimated £218bn in 2023 (of which £40bn was due to floods), Swiss Re says, highlighting a likely increase in such incidents, as climate change intensifies extreme weather events globally.

Swiss Re believes its study could serve as a guideline for investment decisions, and could help identify the best flood adaptation methods to ensure a community’s economic stability, safety and resilience.

The report suggests that grey infrastructure, such as dykes and levees, is highly effective in reducing coastal flood damage. Globally, their benefits can outweigh costs by two to seven times, and even up to ten times in flood-prone areas. The study says that when built to optimal standards, these structures can reduce flood damage by 60%-90%, especially in densely populated regions. In less populated areas, nature-based solutions such as barrier island restoration or foreshore vegetation can be equally effective.

The record-breaking rainfall and flash floods in Spain are, sadly, the latest in a series of flooding disasters to have hit communities around the world. As climate change super-charges extreme weather events such as these, the need for risk assessment and preventive measures is repeatedly underlined. Without the right levels of communication and accountability, however, even the best risk prevention efforts will be wasted.



This article was published in the Q4 2024 issue of CIR Magazine.

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