Translated with AI
On December 17, 2025, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced plans to establish a national network of climate shelters in public buildings across the country before the next summer season. The measures are aimed at protecting the population from extreme heat and ensuring the safety of the most vulnerable, according to the BBC.
"Devastating droughts and heat waves are no longer uncommon. Sometimes, in the summer, we experience not isolated waves, but a single, prolonged heat wave that lasts from June to August. This is now our new reality," the Prime Minister emphasized.
Sánchez noted that the national network of climate shelters will make cool spaces available to everyone. The air-conditioned spaces, typically equipped with seating and free water, are intended for people with health issues, the elderly, infants, and those with limited financial means. The government will finance shelters in regions most susceptible to extreme heat.
According to the state meteorological agency AEMET, the summer of 2025 was the hottest in Spanish history. The country experienced three heat waves, one of which lasted 16 days and saw temperatures rise above 45°C.
The new network of climate shelters will complement existing regional programs established in Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Murcia. Barcelona already has approximately 400 climate shelters, including libraries, museums, sports facilities, and shopping malls.
Furthermore, the Spanish government plans to fund flood prevention measures in small towns and allocate €20 million for forest fire prevention measures as part of a national climate change agreement. These initiatives are scheduled to be discussed in the Congress of Deputies, the country's lower house of parliament. Sánchez called on all political groups to support this plan, noting that it "is not an electoral weapon, but a shield for Spain."
The country's Ministry of Health estimates that the 2025 summer heat wave will result in more than 3,800 heat-related deaths, an 88% increase over the 2024 estimate. Furthermore, the wildfire season will destroy more than 400,000 hectares of forest.
The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change confirms that human activity is making extreme heat waves more frequent and intense.
