The catastrophic flooding that claimed over 90 lives and left dozens missing in Valencia, Spain, underscores the severity of the climate crisis.
The 2023 IPCC Report (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) already highlighted the ‘future’ risks of climate change, stating: “Continued emissions will further affect all major climate system components. With every additional increment of global warming, changes in extremes continue to become larger.
Continued global warming is projected to further intensify the global water cycle, including its variability, global monsoon precipitation, and very wet and very dry weather…” (IPCC 2023, AR6 Synthesis Report, Summary for Policymakers, B.1.3, 12).
Climate crisis
Climate impacts are now at the doorstep of European cities. We’ve been overly confident, thinking these effects only impact island nations, but we are completely wrong. The extreme consequences of climate change threaten lives and livelihoods everywhere. Despite this, many still resist and are confused about accepting the reality of the climate crisis.
As Pope Francis stated, “despite all attempts to deny, conceal, gloss over or relativize the issue, the signs of climate change are here and increasingly evident…” (Laudate Deum, 5).
People and nature are at risk, not just in areas prone to typhoons and hurricanes. Climate disasters affect everyone—here and now. We need readiness in policy and action. Why do we still allow mining and uncontrolled deforestation? We remain indifferent to the clear signs and warnings, leaving us unprepared for disaster risks.
Climate vulnerabilities seldom appear in national and local policies adaptive to risks from events like flooding, heavy rainfall, extreme heat, and landslides.
While much has been done in the area of green and renewable energy, disaster risk reduction management needs to be prioritized too.
The Sendai Framework clearly outlines the need for national and local levels to invest in disaster risk reduction for resilience, promoting the mainstreaming of disaster risk assessment, mapping, and management into rural development planning and management of areas prone to droughts and flooding, while preserving ecosystem functions that help to reduce risks (Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 – 2030, Priority 3, 30.g).
In this devastating event of the century, we are witnessing an ecological disaster in Spain. We mourn and pray for all those who perished and survived in the flooding.
We hope that immediate assistance is delivered to those affected. We encourage communities and institutions to make solidarity calls and take action for the victims—as Pope Francis reminds us in Laudato Si’, “with a sense of solidarity which is at the same time aware that we live in a common home which God has entrusted to us. These community actions, when they express self-giving love, can also become intense spiritual experiences…” (LS, 232).
