In Chile, the DANA phenomenon is known as separate landfills, as a researcher from the University of Chile explains. These episodes have never been as intense in the country as in Valencia, but climate change could change the panorama.
Houses and buildings destroyed and flooded, 223 people died and hundreds of victims left the path of the DANA in Spain a recurring climatic phenomenon in this country but which, due to climate change, has intensified excessively.
And the rains and storms broke records: In Valencia, 500 liters of water fell per square meter in a few hours. That’s way more than it rains all year.
For thatthe soils quickly became saturated with water and eventually flooded, leaving the affected towns full of mud. swept away cars, broken structures and an unfortunate number of casualties.
This phenomenon, called cold drop, This has also happened several times in Chile. And although they are generally not as strong as in Valencia, one expert warns that climate change could make them stronger. more and more frequent and intense.
What is DANA, the phenomenon that hit Valencia and Spain
The director of the Department of Geography University of Chile , Pablo Sarricolea explained that DANA (Isolated Depression at High Levels) is what we call in Chile “separate sick leave”.
“Strictly speaking, it is a low pressure center at altitude which generates temperature instability. And if there is a rise of warm air, in this case in the Mediterranean Sea, condensation occurs, clouds and heavy precipitation are generated,” he said in an interview with University of Radio and Press of Chile .
Generally speaking, what are the causes intense rains and winds that worsen when air and sea temperatures are wetter and warmer.
Furthermore, as explained in State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) from Spain, the difference with a common storm is that DANA can stay in the same place for several days.
Why DANA worries scientists
The rain generated by DANA is well known in Spain. And generally, In autumn it occurs with light to moderate intensity, but almost never like this year.
Sarricolea warned that: As this phenomenon is expected to be frequent, the cities concerned must better prepare themselves.
Mainly because on this occasion, There have been management issues that have worsened the consequences in cities like Valencia, such as building in areas known to be prone to flooding.
In addition, “they eliminated some infrastructure related to the accumulation of water, such as reservoirs, which could also have contributed to the water reaching the city more quickly,” commented the expert.
Additionally, AEMET began issuing alerts of maximum concern hours before the flood. Decisions that might have saved more lives were not made in time.
“Valencia was a community that “I wasn’t prepared.”
In addition to the lack of foresight of the Spanish authorities, the problem of urban planning and the heavy rainfall in a short time, Sarricolea warned that the fourth factor is one of those that worries the scientific community the most: climate change.
“With climate change, these events will become more and more frequent. “One of the observations of climate variability that we are seeing is that extreme weather events are increasing. »
He continued: “This increase may be partly due to climate change, but it involves attribution exercises. »
And there are events more or less influenced by human pollution which cause the planet to reach record temperatures.
“For example, the mega-drought is absolutely not the fault of climate change. But in a percentage close to 30%. During heatwaves, its attribution is a little more important. So we need to be aware of how much is climate variability and how much is human-caused climate change.
At least in the DANA, global warming plays a leading role: according to a report from the European platform Climatometer financed by the European Union and the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) , This phenomenon was generated by causes linked to “anthropogenic climate change”.
That is to say climate change generated by humans.
Could DANA affect Chile as it did in Spain?
As Sarricolea explains, Chile has repeatedly experienced episodes linked to DANA, But never with the same intensity as that which has affected Valencia in recent weeks.
The expert recalled the year 2015 in Atacama, where there was “water vapor coming from the intertropical zone”.
“Sometimes these humid tropical air inlets can contribute, but “The amount of water vapor we saw in Valencia is very difficult to replicate here.”
And even if in Chile “we have already had isolated episodes of depression with very intense precipitation, sometimes with snow”, The expert’s call is to prepare for what might happen in the future.
“The planet is warming with climate change, “These events could become more and more extreme. »
This means that, Even if, so far, we have not had isolated victims with such destructive consequences as in Spain, this does not mean that it cannot happen in the future, especially with climate change intensifying weather events like never before in history.
Considering this, the researcher suggested how to prevent disasters resulting from these phenomena: “Green and blue infrastructure are essential to avoid major flooding and inundation. “There are solutions based on technology, that is to say elements that prevent water from overflowing. »
“The idea is to add different types of infrastructure, rainwater harvesters or rainwater master plans also become fundamental. The Ministry of Housing is in the process of developing a national climate change adaptation and mitigation plan which is being transformed into actions.
Source: Latercera
I am Robert Harris and I specialize in news media. My experience has been focused on sports journalism, particularly within the Rugby sector. I have written for various news websites in the past and currently work as an author for Athletistic, covering all things related to Rugby news.
