The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, announced a review of activities in the flood zone of Catalonia after the Valencia tragedy. Even if they have so far limited themselves to declaring that they would study all cases, this Monday they pointed out one of the sectors most exposed to flooding: campsites.
“There are campsites that concern us and we are working on them,” said the president in an interview with Catalunya Ràdio. Illa did not want to specify whether the actions will involve the dismantling of some of these facilities or their adaptation, but he assured: “If the activities do not offer guarantees, decisions will have to be made.”
“There are certain activities that we already know are in a situation that does not correspond and we must see, from an administrative and legal point of view, what to do,” insisted Illa. Concerning ongoing urban projects in Catalonia, some of which are in flood zones, the president defended compliance with strict regulations.
Given the warning from the Meteorological Service of Catalonia (Meteocat) regarding the arrival of a new dana this week, Illa called on citizens not to be “afraid” but to “respect” the climate. “We cannot live in fear and anxiety, but we can live in respect of the situation and be attentive to the warnings that may be given by the Civil Protection services,” said the president.
Likewise, he stressed that the population must get used to the opinions of civil protection on climate and follow the recommendations. “People have the right to know the predictions of what might happen and to take precautions. The training and self-protection aspect must also be greatly improved. If there are heavy rain warnings, do not park in the creek,” he noted.
