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Spain
Valencia Floods Kill 63
More than a month’s worth of rain fell in a day across southern and eastern Spain, causing deadly flash floods that have inundated homes, blocked roads, and interrupted communications. At this time, 63 people are reported dead, the majority from the eastern region of Valencia, where officials stationed more than 1,000 emergency response soldiers. Many more remain missing. Reports show that some areas saw 70 to 100 gallons of rainfall per square yard (300-490 liters per meter sq), more than a year’s worth. Officials expect around 40 more gallons of rain per square yard, leaving the highest level of the Valencia coast on emergency alert and affecting the nearby regions of Andalusia and Murcia. Rain will continue until Thursday as the storm moves north of the country.
This map depicts the rainfall in millimeters regions of Spain have reported since torrential rainfall hit the country on Monday. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: The Sun
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France
Backing Morocco’s Sahara Claim
During a state visit to Morocco, President Emmanuel Macron expressed support for Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, shifting France’s stance. The disputed territory has been contested since 1975 between Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which advocates for Sahrawi independence. Macron’s remarks align France with the U.S. and Spain. The Algerian government, which considers Morocco’s control illegal, withdrew its ambassador to Paris following the remarks. Diplomatic tensions between Morocco and Algeria have escalated since 2021, when Morocco was accused of supporting the Kabyle separatist movement in northern Algeria. Macron also pledged investments in the Western Sahara as part of new agreements with Morocco, valued at up to $11 billion (€10 billion). The Polisario Front condemned France for supporting what it calls Morocco’s “illegal occupation.”
This map depicts the disputed area and current boundaries of Morocco and Algeria-backed Polisario-controlled territories in the Western Sahara Desert. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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World
Global Heat Exposure Report
A record of 512 billion work hours have been lost (around 1.5 times the average from the 1990s) due to the risk of heat exposure which disproportionally affects agricultural workers in low-income countries, says a new report from the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change. In 2023, around one-quarter of the world’s population worked outdoors, with a majority in low-income nations. Wealthy countries were generally the least impacted by heat stress. According to the report, the number of deaths caused by fossil fuel-derived air pollution decreased by 7% over 2016-21 – mainly due to wealthy nations phasing out coal. However, most low-income countries still rely heavily on biomass and other “dirty” fuels in their homes. This study reveals an uneven health exposure to fossil fuel-derived pollution and heat risk that disproportionately affects rural communities in low-income nations.
This map depicts the average number of days with health-threatening temperatures attributable to climate change per year, over 2019-23, by country. . Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What is the world’s second-largest river basin, after the Amazon Basin?
A: Congo Basin
The Congo Basin is the sedimentary basin of the Congo River, the second-longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the third-largest river in the world by discharge volume, following the Amazon and Ganges rivers. Congo is a traditional name for the equatorial Middle Africa that lies between the Gulf of Guinea and the African Great Lakes. The Congo Basin is a globally important climatic region with annual rainfall of between 59 and 78 inches (1500 and 2000 mm). The rainforest in the Congo Basin is the largest rainforest in Africa and second only to the Amazon rainforest in size, with 300 million hectares compared to the 800 million hectares in the Amazon. Because of its size and diversity, the basin’s forest is important for mitigating climate change in its role as a carbon sink.
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Q: What river in Asia boasts the world’s largest inland fishery, with up to 25% of the global freshwater catch?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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