Media reports criticized the government for failing to adequately prepare for and respond to flooding in Valencia. Valencia emergency rescue team disbandedTo delayed disaster response.
These criticisms are correct. But you’re missing the heart of the problem. When we pave over forests to expand cities, drain coastal wetlands to build oil plants, and allow intensive agricultural practices to pollute and destroy rivers (as has happened in Valencia in recent decades), we are harming nature. Puts the final nail in the coffin. What are the results? When extreme weather arrives, it adds more fuel to the fire.
overall
The recent floods in Europe provide painful lessons. Yes. Fighting climate change is non-negotiable. But framing climate action as just about emissions ignores the importance of natural ecosystems in mitigation and adaptation.
The collapse of local ecosystems and the resulting disruption of weather patterns at a local scale is as important as rising global temperatures. Recent floods in Europe have shown that without healthy natural ecosystems, the resilience of entire regions and the communities that depend on them is compromised.
The solution is a holistic approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of climate, ecosystems and society. This is where restoring nature plays an important role.
More than ever, we need to regenerate natural ecosystems around communities, reconnect fragmented habitats, revitalize important natural areas such as wetlands, and ensure that human development works in harmony with nature rather than against it.
Let’s be clear. Not all human development is bad. We just need to make our cities, towns and factories more environmentally friendly, ultimately giving the forests, wetlands and reefs that support our societies enough breathing room.
like Milan himself emphasized: “We have to develop it the right way. disrupt the water cycle as little as possible; […] “Invest in the long term for system recovery,” he said. We must do as Millán did. Look at the bigger picture.
This author
Lily Maxwell-Lwin is the Director of Advocacy and Engagement at Commonland, a global non-profit organization that helps communities restore landscapes and regenerate food systems at scale. An urban planner by training, she has a background in urban sustainability issues and has experience working across a variety of industries, from digital startups to local government. Through advocacy and engagement, she strives to create a world where local communities thrive in harmony with nature and produce healthy food in healthy landscapes.
