Spain urged to 'build differently' after deadly floods

Madrid: Spain is racing to reconstruct areas devastated by deadly floods last month but experts have urged a rethink of development with the relocatio...

Madrid: Spain is racing to reconstruct areas devastated by deadly floods last month but experts have urged a rethink of development with the relocation of buildings away from vulnerable areas.

The worst floods to hit Spain in decades on October 29 killed at least 230 people, covered towns in mud and debris, destroyed bridges, roads and rail lines and submerged cars, mainly in the eastern region of Valencia.

"The degree of destruction and ruin was historic" in the Valencia region, where some 80 towns were hit by torrential rains, according to a report from Spain's Higher Council of Colleges of Architects.

Reconstruction must "be carried out with empathy, technical rigour and a great deal of responsibility," said its president Marta Vall-Llossera.

"With global warming making meteorological phenomena more intense and more frequent, architecture will have an important role to play," she told AFP.