What the fury in Spain over devastating floods tells us

Anyone familiar with the classic film “My Fair Lady” will recall the phrase, “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.” On Oct. 29, however, this famous line took a dark turn when explosive downpours struck the Valencia region, leaving at least 219 dead and 78 missing. As videos of mud-slinging protesters targeting Spain’s royals, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and regional leaders during their visit to Paiporta went viral, it became evident that the climate change rhetoric favored by European politicians held little comfort when faced with a real-life disaster.

What the people of Valencia seek is accountability, immediate government support and proof that politicians have learned the right lessons from this calamity, as there is no guarantee it will not happen again. After five decades without a major natural disaster, many residents were unprepared for the dangers of flash floods and did not know how to respond. Yet, as climate change is increasingly blamed for intensifying weather patterns along Spain’s Mediterranean coast, such floods are likely to become more frequent and deadlier.

The irony of Spain being caught off guard by an extreme weather event is striking, given its politicians’ proactive stance on climate change and ambitious commitments aligned with the EU’s green agenda. The Spanish government has pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, focusing on renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing energy efficiency. But these initiatives offered little solace to the estimated 100,000 protesters in Valencia who demanded the resignation of regional President Carlos Mazon of the conservative People’s Party.

The irony of Spain being caught off guard is striking, given its politicians’ proactive stance on climate change

Arnab Neil Sengupta

In Valencia’s case, mixed messages and the unprecedented intensity of the rainfall appear to have created confusion at the local level. Despite storm warnings from the national weather service being in place from Oct. 25, some municipalities were slow to act. However, others responded swiftly, with town halls shutting down public facilities and Valencia University advising staff to stay home.

In hindsight, experts point to three major factors behind the heavy loss of life and property: insufficient information about flood risks, poor coordination between regional and national authorities, and political decisions made years ago to neglect investments in flood relief infrastructure. Engineers, geologists, urban planners and disaster relief specialists told Reuters that “successive failures — to conduct flood mitigation work on nearby rivers, better protect houses built on floodplains, educate people and issue timely warnings — exacerbated the fatalities.”

The full extent of the damage remains unclear, but the Consortium for Insurance Compensation, a public-private entity that handles insurance claims for extreme risks, estimates it will need to pay out at least €3.5 billion ($3.7 billion) in compensation. If that money had been invested earlier in infrastructure and early warning systems, towns like Paiporta might have avoided the worst of the Oct. 29 disaster. Now, regional authorities have no choice but to undertake these long-overdue projects.

Luis Banon, a professor of transportation engineering at the University of Alicante, noted that delaying investments in comprehensive flood defenses has multiplied the economic cost “by 200,” adding, “This type of works aren’t sexy, don’t give political profitability until something happens.”

As extreme weather events become more frequent, political debates increasingly revolve around whether the rhetoric matches reality

Arnab Neil Sengupta

What is politically attractive is talk of climate action. While the EU’s climate policies are divisive, they also resonate with many Europeans, who support measures to combat climate change despite the burden on businesses and consumers. In Spain, where voters prioritize environmental issues, the ruling Socialist Workers’ Party has aligned its economic agenda with ambitious green policies. Yet, as extreme weather events become more frequent, political debates increasingly revolve around whether the rhetoric matches reality.

Spain’s leadership in solar and wind energy production and its investments in green infrastructure are commendable. No one is suggesting that the national recovery plan should cease funding projects aimed at decarbonizing transport and industry. However, the disaster in Valencia has starkly demonstrated that climate rhetoric and long-term strategies are not substitutes for near-term actions and coordinated, practical measures that can prevent tragedies.

Ultimately, the rain in Spain may not always stay on the plain, but the lessons learned from the catastrophe in Valencia must stay firmly in the minds of policymakers. For Spain to be truly resilient, it must strike a balance between the lofty ideals of climate action and the urgent, on-the-ground interventions that protect lives today.

• Arnab Neil Sengupta is a senior editor at Arab News. X: @arnabnsg