Illa's government creates a new racket: l'Observatori de la Inundabilitat

Salvador Illa's government has announced the creation of a new public entity under the name Observatori de la Inundabilitat. The organization will depend on the Directorate General for Water Transition and is presented as a tool to improve flood management. The measure is part of the Generalitat's climate policies and, in theory, responds to the need to strengthen technical analysis in the face of episodes of heavy rainfall.

According to the administration itself, this observatory will have up to 25 members, coming from both the Generalitat and the academic and technical fields. "Independent experts" will also be included. In other words, a common formula in this type of public entity.

For now, the government hasn't clarified whether the members of the observatory will receive any remuneration. However, this is not a minor detail. In previous cases where the positions were symbolic and unpaid, the executive expressly stated so in its communications. In this case, it hasn't done so, which suggests that the members of the Observatori could be included in some form of direct or indirect compensation.

The chiringuito industry

With this announcement, Illa adds a new organization to an already oversized public ecosystem, full of councils, agencies, and observatories. In fact, the official statement itself notes that the goal will be "to collect data, analyze information, and propose structural and non-structural measures." This way, it never specifies what it will contribute that existing departments can't already do.

The creation of the observatory also comes with the promise to address the impact of climate change in the Mediterranean basin. However, many of the measures related to flooding still haven't been implemented despite the Valencian precedent. For example, this includes updating risk mapping or plans for campgrounds.

Pending the operation of this observatory, what is certain is that this type of body helps consolidate a clientelist model where the Generalitat becomes a placement machine. Meanwhile, many business associations and civil society groups insist that Catalonia's bureaucratic structure is excessive.