Joan Roig, mayor of Alcanar, resigns, exhausted by flood management | News from Catalonia

Climate change has made the mayor of Alcanar, Joan Roig, throw in the towel, who attributes her resignation to the management of episodes of torrential rain. “They have generated a titanic workload and responsibilities that go beyond the position,” he said in an open letter to all residents. The wear and tear caused by the emergency situations was “unimaginable”, according to Roig, “I felt the demands of the road, but without knowing that Alcanar would face five floods caused by extremely violent weather phenomena”.

In an interview on the program RegisteredRoig assured that “the future of Alcanar will be marked by climate change, our city is one of the epicenters of Catalonia. Something very serious, very serious is happening to us.” In October, a new DANA caused damage in different areas of Tarragona. The Montsià region was one of the most affected and Alcanar one of the most affected municipalities: streets full of mud, cars dragged by the rain, collapsed walls and destroyed gardens.

The decision was also motivated by professional reasons; With degrees in physiotherapy and social sciences, Roig was appointed acting teacher at a high school in the Barcelona metropolitan area. “I am taking a step aside because the function of mayor must be exercised with total dedication and from now on, that will no longer be possible for me,” he says, adding that he leaves “serene and convinced that the government team has the experience and the degree of commitment necessary to face the new stage of transformation.”

Marc Chavalera, relief

The new mayor will be Marc Chavalera, who was until now Councilor for Finance and Economy. The local ERC team explained in a press release that it would propose him because he is “the right person due to his qualities and abilities”, without specifying a date for the replacement.

The municipal group thanks Roig for the manner in which he left office “without a revolving door and without any pending favors”. The Republicans govern in Alcanar with the PSC, with which they agreed at the end of September to recover the absolute majority lost with the dismissal of an advisor for alleged irregularities.