Aiming to strengthen the municipality's resilience, Catarroja has deployed a coordinated set of measures to confront the impacts of climate change. These actions, particularly focused during the summer months, address the preparation of public spaces, prevention, protection of vulnerable groups, and constant monitoring of weather conditions.
Mayor Lorena Silvent highlighted the need for adaptation: “Heatwaves are no longer exceptional episodes, and municipalities must be prepared for an increasingly demanding climate reality. Therefore, Catarroja's reconstruction cannot be limited to recovering what we had before the storm. We must use it as an opportunity to build a more prepared, more resilient town with a greater capacity to protect its people from heatwaves, intense rains, and other extreme weather phenomena.”
A key initiative is the creation of a municipal network of climate shelters. These spaces, located in various public facilities such as the City Hall, Municipal Market, La Llotgeta, Library, Espai Jove, Pavilion, and Cemetery, offer air-conditioned facilities and access to water to protect the population, especially those most sensitive to high temperatures. The network is complemented by new refrigerated water fountains in strategic outdoor locations throughout the municipality.
The urban environment is also seeing improvements with increased shaded areas and the installation of awnings, with special attention to educational centers to reduce sun exposure for children. The renovated municipal swimming pool has become a key summer leisure and cooling spot, enhanced after the damage sustained from the storm.
Municipal services and activity programming have also been adapted. The Municipal Brigade has specific protective gear for its outdoor workers, while cultural and leisure programming includes "cool-down" activities and evening events to encourage citizen participation during cooler hours.
Permanent meteorological monitoring and the dissemination of warnings and recommendations through municipal channels and social media are crucial for anticipating risk situations. This combined strategy aims to increase the municipality's capacity to face extreme phenomena.
Climate resilience criteria are being integrated into post-storm reconstruction projects. An example is the future building of the former indoor swimming pool, planned as a temporary and climate shelter, transforming the reconstruction need into an opportunity for a more prepared and safer municipality against future climate challenges.
