Genetalia is stepping into a new era with a forest cooperation fund designed to strengthen forest care, reduce fire risk, and drive reforestation efforts. Valencia plans to contribute 50 million euros to city councils and invites county councils to add another 30 million to fuel this initiative.
The fund may reshape intergovernmental dynamics. A potential friction could arise between the Valencian regional government and Alicante’s Provincial Council, which opted not to join the Consell’s plan and presented an alternative, Plan + Cerca, instead. This divergence highlights the complexities of provincial collaboration on environmental policy and rural resilience.
President Ximo Puig outlined the fund during the general policy debate in the Cortes Generales, underscoring its launch after a season marked by severe fires that tested communities. He cited Bejís in Castellón and Vall d’Ebo in Alicante as emblematic of the danger and urgency produced by extreme fire events.
Puig recalled fires of exceptional intensity that threatened lives, livelihoods, and natural heritage. While there were no fatalities, he expressed sympathy for the injured and assured that all those affected would receive full support from the Generalitat.
Confronted with the distressing realities of climate change, Puig urged vigilance to be doubled without delay. He highlighted the creation of an emergency analysis and intelligence unit in 2023. This unit is tasked with enhancing decision making through simulations and artificial intelligence, operating within the 112 system and integrated into forward command posts for rapid response and coordinated action.
“The Vall d’Ebo fire is one of the biggest in Alicante and has been brewing for years”
In addition, a fleet expansion is planned: up to 45 firefighting vehicles over four years and a marked increase in helicopter capability from seven to ten crews. An exclusive preventive air surveillance service will also be established to strengthen early warning and rapid intervention. The Generalitat’s forest firefighters will play a central role in this expanded response network, ensuring timely protection for communities and ecosystems alike.
Puig described the overarching objective as safeguarding the region and Valencia’s broader interests, insisting that unity must prevail in this critical effort. He also announced a new five-million-euro 2023 line to compensate agricultural landowners who safeguard crops within areas of strategic forest value, a pioneering effort within Spain to align agricultural preservation with forest protection goals.
Another key announcement involves accelerating the Agricultural Structures Law to boost competitiveness by encouraging farm groupings and facilitating land supply and demand matching. This framework aims to streamline farm operations, improve resilience, and support sustainable land use as part of the regional rural development strategy.
Transfer
On the irrigation front, Puig reaffirmed the Consell’s commitment to defending the Tajo-Segura transfer and resisting any measures that would curtail irrigation supplies. He pledged collaborative work with irrigation stakeholders and warned against unproductive partisan maneuvering in public offices and courts. The goal remains to ensure full reuse of purified water, increase efficiency in the Segura basin’s water resources, and secure a more favorable price for desalinated water in coordination with the Ministry.
The plan envisions a robust, integrated approach to water management that supports agricultural productivity while safeguarding ecological health and regional water security. The administration emphasizes practical, science-informed strategies to balance competing demands and build long-term resilience across the Valencian community.