Orihuela has been selected as one of the pilot locations for a €3.4 million European project aimed at improving how towns and cities prepare for increasingly frequent and severe climate-related emergencies.
The SHIELD project has been brought to the Valencian Community by the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, the FVMP, in collaboration with the Generalitat Valenciana and Orihuela City Council.
The initiative will begin in October and run for three years. It will develop and test innovative tools designed to help municipalities respond more effectively to emergencies such as floods, storms, extreme heat and other climate-driven events.
Of the total budget, €300,000 will be managed directly from the Valencian Community. This includes €192,500 for training local authorities and sharing the project model, while €119,250 will be used to implement the municipal pilot scheme.
Orihuela mayor Pepe Vegara said the project places the municipality among a small group of European pilot areas, alongside locations in Slovenia and Cyprus, where future emergency management solutions will be designed and tested.
The project is based on three main areas: digitalisation, better coordination between public administrations and emergency services, and stronger public involvement. Planned tools include real-time information-sharing platforms, decision-support systems, intelligent systems capable of recommending response protocols, evacuation simulators and apps to improve direct communication with residents.
FVMP secretary general Miguel Bailach said SHIELD showed how European funding could help municipalities access international networks and develop practical solutions to local challenges. He said the FVMP would lead training and capacity-building activities so that the lessons learned in Orihuela could be shared with other towns across the Valencian Community.
Carlos Gil, regional secretary for Institutional Policy and Territorial Cohesion, said the project demonstrated the importance of institutional cooperation in bringing Europe closer to local councils.
He said the aim was not only to secure European funds, but also to create opportunities for municipalities to take part in international projects, adopt innovation and improve the services they provide to residents.
