Spain floods disaster: death toll rises to 205 as extra troops mobilised

The death toll from the floods in Spain this week has risen to 205, as residents in the Valencia region were warned to brace for more rain and an additional 1,000 soldiers were earmarked to help with the rescue operations.

Authorities in Valencia raised the death toll on Friday afternoon in what have been the deadliest floods in Spain’s modern history.

The state weather agency Aemet said early on Friday that four regions, including Valencia, remained on amber alert because of the risk of rain and storms, days after rivers of mud-coloured water left a trail of devastation.

The flash floods swept away bridges, cars and streetlights. The number of missing people remains unknown. Thousands more have no access to water or reliable food, while parts of the heaviest-hit areas remain inaccessible. The piles of vehicles and debris have trapped some residents in their homes while others are without electricity or stable phone service.

“This is a disaster,” a resident of hard-hit Paiporta told the broadcaster RTVE as he fought back tears. “People can’t imagine what this is like, you see images on television but this is three times worse ... We can’t continue like this, we need help.”

As rescuers scrambled to comb the devastated areas, politicians sought to blame each other for the delay in the civil protection service alert warning people to stay in their homes – it was sent only after the flooding had begun.

5 things you can do to end the biodiversity crisis as the world talks about it at COP16

The world is charging towards tipping points for species extinctions, ecosystem collapse and loss of genetic diversity. Crossing these tipping points will be devastating for nature and human existence alike.

Avoiding this catastrophe of humanity’s making is the purpose of the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) in Cali, Colombia. COP16 has been reviewing progress on implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework adopted at COP15 in Montreal, Canada, in 2022. Progress has been incremental at best.

These pledges, plans and goals, while necessary and commendable, are also far removed and often intangible for everyday citizens. Collective global action is inherently political. It moves at glacial pace when urgent action is needed.

The issues can seem so colossal and complex that individuals often feel powerless. This may mean they do nothing or, worse, add to the problem. But, in fact, there are five steps individuals can take to help end the biodiversity crisis.