Disaster recovery in Spain: a legal and policy survey

This report maps both the national framework for disaster recovery and the framework applicable in one autonomous community: the Valencian Community. The report uses, as a case study, the 2019 'Cold Drop', which resulted in extensive flooding in the Vega Baja area of the Valencian Community. The recovery phase, or 'return to normality phase' as it is commonly referred to in Spain, is addressed through the National Civil Protection Law and the Valencian Civil Protection Law, as well as through the national and regional plans, which include brief sections on recovery.

Regulation of disaster recovery could be strengthened in Spain by legally mandating the development of regional and local disaster recovery plans in order to ensure effective recovery operations. There are two main types of recovery planning that need to occur: (i) pre-event recovery planning, which outlines the general planned arrangements for recovery; and (ii) post-event recovery planning, which outlines the specific planning or legal measures that will be taken to recovery from a specific disaster based on the assessed impacts and needs.