When scientists and activists warn of the consequences of the environmental crisis, they refer to disasters such as the one that occurred this Wednesday in the east and south of the Iberian Peninsula. A DANA has resulted in almost a hundred livesmultiple missing and injured people, as well as an overwhelming amount of damage to infrastructure. “There is no longer a place for climate denialism,” he tells this medium. Marta Olazabalresearcher at the Basque center for climate change BC3. It is indisputable that measures must be taken to prevent these phenomena from becoming more serious. Experts identify three lines: meteorological measurement, adaptation of cities and citizen access to information.
The Mediterranean area is prone to flooding resulting from intense storms such as Danas. It is not a lie, but this information is used in a fallacious manner to try to minimize the reality of the damage. From London, Rafael Jimenezadvisor on Environmental Democracy at the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), points out: “If we know that this kind of events happen every once in a while, it means they can be prevented.
The professor of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Barcelona, Carme Llasatpoints out in statements to this newspaper that, although phenomena as devastating as this Wednesday’s are unlikely, they will increase in frequency as a consequence of the environmental crisis. “Although the attribution of these phenomena to the climate emergency is complex, torrential and catastrophic episodes are increasingly frequent and intense,” it also points out. Ecologists in Action in a statement.
Olazabal regrets that “climate action – or inaction – is being politicized and used as an electoral weapon, with very serious and direct consequences for people’s health“. The researcher points out that “the problem with extreme events is that they can occur today and again tomorrow, or within a month. “There is a lot of uncertainty about when they will happen.”
Real-time measurements
Spain is a country particularly vulnerable to the consequences of the climate crisis. Next to southern France and Italyis one of the European regions that suffers the most from environmental transformations, according to Public the meteorologist and former delegate of the Aemet in Navarra Peio Oria.
“In episodes like this the need arises to establish more effective measures of early response on the part of public administrations“, stand out from Ecologistas en Acción. Oria regrets the lack of Spanish investment in measurement systems, with Aemet that has seen its resources “decimated.”
The physicist advocates developing prediction systems such as nowcastingwhich consists of real-time observations. This allows forecasts to be made one or two hours ahead. For her part, Carme Llasat indicates that measurements of river flows would also be needed. All of this contributes to improving the weather warning protocolswhich for Oria “are a crucial element.”
Adapt cities to the new climate reality
According to Olazabal, current city planning aggravates the problems derived from this type of catastrophic events. The expert criticizes a “Dense urbanization in flood-prone areaswhich is not capable of evacuating water quickly enough to avoid human and economic damage.
In statements to PublicPhD in Geology from the University of Zaragoza Antonio Aretxabala points out that strategies such as dams or river diversion provided the population with a “false sense of security” to live in flood-prone areas. The scientist argues that these kinds of measures could have made sense for a climate reality “that no longer exists.”
The BC3 researcher is committed to “regenerate urban infrastructurebuilding and integrating nature-based solutions that allow us to have a greater response capacity.” Among the possible lines of action, Olazabal highlights the increase in permeable soilwhich absorbs water more easily, preventing flooding.
Information for climate empowerment
Information is also a key point to act in this matter. Rafael Jiménez indicates that working to have a population that is correctly aware is part of the “environmental democracywhich seeks citizen climate empowerment (ACE).
“Public authorities have the responsibility to ensure that citizens have access to information of the highest possible reliability about the environmental and climate risks they face,” says the member of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.
Carme Llasat agrees on this point. Furthermore, the professor at the University of Barcelona reminds citizens that they must be consistent with the precautions communicated the competent authorities –such as, for example, not traveling through closed areas–. But Jiménez insists: “If people do not have access to climate information, it implies disempowerment.”
In reality, these three measures feed off each other. Good observation and measurement systems make it possible to improve early warning protocols. All of this results in a population with greater access to meteorological knowledgecontributing to their awareness. In this way, not only will they be able to demand improvements in urban plans, but the decisions they make in the urban area, such as buying a home closer or further away from a flood-prone area, will have a more defined criterion.
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