Catalonia implements climate adaptation measures for wildfires and floods

Experts and regional authorities in Catalonia are addressing the increasing risks posed by extreme weather events, specifically intense wildfires and severe flooding.

Regarding wildfires, researchers from the Institute of Forest Sciences (ICIFOR) note that the intensification of forest fires is driven by both climate change and the abandonment of rural territories. This lack of land management has led to an accumulation of vegetation that acts as fuel, creating dangerous interfaces between forests and urban areas. Experts suggest that society must move toward a strategy of coexistence with fire rather than focusing solely on suppression.

In response to flooding risks in the Montsià and Baix Ebre regions, the Catalan Water Agency (ACA) has completed 18 emergency actions following the damage caused by storm Alice. With an investment of approximately 900,000 euros, works have focused on repairing ravines and river sections in municipalities such as Tortosa, Amposta, and Ulldecona. While emergency repairs to drainage channels and riverbanks are complete, structural studies are currently being drafted to provide long-term flood risk reduction for exposed urban spaces.