The Diputación de Alicante urges the Generalitat to establish an autonomous coordinating body that links not just the regional government but all administrations in charge of emergencies and rapid disaster response. This request came before the Valencian Courts special commission studying risk prevention measures in the face of powerful storms, on behalf of the provincial institution. Gutiérrez argued that a unified command is essential — to move together under one direction.
The head of infrastructures underscored that the Generalitat Valenciana should lead the development of a clearly defined protocol and the necessary organizational and resource mechanisms. Gutiérrez stressed that joint effort across administrations must be aimed at saving time and boosting response capacity. He called for a procedural manual that precisely explains who acts, how actions unfold, and the sequence of steps to follow.
Those affected by storm Gloria will appear in Cortes in commission to address storm risks.
In the economics department, Gutiérrez urged that damages be assessed in a transparent, well-defined way and that responsibility for costs among different administrations be established based on legal authority and capacity of smaller municipalities. He reaffirmed the Alicante Provincial Assembly’s commitment to assist residents using all available resources, while also creating a method to determine costs and distribute them among the various administrations in a regulatory manner.
Gutiérrez noted that, at present, governments often act based on proximity and sometimes intrude into areas outside their jurisdiction. What is needed, he argued, is a structure emanating from the Generalitat that provides clear emergency guidelines to Cortes. This would allow all governments to leverage their combined resources more effectively.
Water and urban management
The commission examined risk mitigation measures for severe storms and actions to reduce regional vulnerability to events like the January 2020 Gloria storm. Approved in March 2020 and established in November 2021, the review analyzes how water, land use, and urban planning have been governed in recent years. It seeks to understand both the causes and the scale of floods and overflows, while also reviewing restructuring and prevention actions and the economic losses across counties. The focus remains on linking urban planning with the responsibility for storm damage in flood-prone areas. Affected municipalities are asked to submit reports and maps detailing impacted zones, including urban, developable, rural, and protected lands, with overlapping flood zones referenced against current planning. Licenses for building on unzoned land are to be reported as well. The commission also examines actions that public administrations should take to recover from damage and prevent future losses in light of climate change.
Documents requested from municipalities involved in the disaster footprint, the Generalitat for soil policy or flood action plans, and the government on coastal protection and the infrastructures of the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation will be analyzed. In total, this year involved 73 participants, including field experts, municipal, district, and state officials, and neighborhood associations, all contributing to a comprehensive review of risk and resilience.