What we have seen in Spain these last days is a preview of the future if we do not take action on climate change

2 November 2024, 14:10 | Updated: 2 November 2024, 14:44

Valencia has recently experienced extremely violent flash floods which have resulted in more than 200 deaths, many people missing, the flooding of many houses and businesses, and lots of suffering.

Bridges collapsed, streets became rivers of muddy water with floating cars pushed away like toys. People were trapped in their homes and cars for hours.

Many died but others were rescued.

Everybody was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the disaster and will need time to recover from this tragedy.

The epicenter of the floods were towns in the highlands close to Valencia, like Utiel and Chiva, and those lying below along the usually dry river beds that became roaring rivers to the South of Valencia, like Paiporta, Catarroja and Benetuser.

The city of Valencia itself was not flooded because of the deviation of the river Túria, after the floods of 1957.These floods, which saw annual rainfall in just eight hours, are the worst natural catastrophe of this century in Spain.

These extreme weather events are the result of climate change which increases the temperatures of both the atmosphere and the sea.

The Mediterranean has been warming much more than other regions in the world and its sea has been described as a “petrol can”: increased sea temperatures result in greater evaporation that turns into deadly storms as cold autumn air moves in from the North.

Autumn showers have been known in Spanish as la “gota fría”, the cold drop. 

The problem is that we are no longer dealing with a drop, but, rather, with a tsunami.It is clear that the official warnings came too late. Very few people understood the magnitude of the danger ahead and the urgency of preventive measures.

The floods took many people by surprise in their cars, their working places, or shopping malls. But now it is not the moment for blame.

We have to focus now on saving lives, searching missing people, collecting and burying the dead, helping those who have become homeless, those who have lost their loved ones and all their belongings, those who don’t have water, electricity, food or other essential commodities, those who have been traumatized by hours of waiting and fear in the middle of nowhere.

Time will come to make a review and draw some conclusions.We are still in a learning curve for climate change extreme weather events and there are many things that will have to be done better next time. Because there will be, unfortunately, a next time.

Climate change is here and it is here to stay. What we have seen these last days is a preview of what will happen in the future if we do not take effective action to reduce greenhouse emissions and to adapt to climate change.

The solidarity shown by inhabitants of Valencia with those who have suffered this tragedy is  exemplary and heart warming..

The courage of the people who saved so many lives is also very impressive.

These are good reasons to be proud of being Valencian and being hopeful about the future of our land.

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Carmen Marqués is a Valencian ambassador of the European Climate Pact.  

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