Cascading impact chains and recovery challenges of the 2024 Valencia catastrophic floods

Abstract In the Valencia Region, in Spain, 228 lives were lost after catastrophic floods in October 2024, locally named “DANA”. Additional losses and damages occurred in the recovery phase, which were documented by a field visit two months after the flood. The methodology consisted of empirical research and theoretical impact chain frameworks. Interviews with key informants, such as experts, affected citizens, and industry, identified key focal problems, which included damaged vehicles, disaster waste management, and losses in agricultural production. Additional impact chains emerged, such as potential soil contamination, on groundwater, and ecosystems such as the Albufera Lagoon, and impacts on the food system and agriculture. The resulting conceptual frameworks allow for better cross-sectorial and sustainable cooperation to mediate those cascading impact chains in the further recovery. The examples of Valencia were also compared with other international cases, such as the German 2021 flood disaster, in terms of disaster and waste management. The main conclusions are that, next to direct flood damages, especially waste management and potential long-term contamination, are problems in the recovery process. And on the scientific and management side, gaps in cross-sectorial collaboration must be mitigated, based on a better perception of impact chains and interrelations. An international audience of researchers, policy makers, industry, and affected people can better understand how disaster, waste, and food safety interrelate through cascading impacts in the medium- and long-term after a disaster. Graphical abstract