The Generalitat Valenciana on 27 September 2026 confirmed the expanded funding round of the programme Emerge of the employment and training service Labora confirmed. According to the published administrative decision, 328 municipalities of the Comunitat Valenciana around 1,700 people can be hired on a temporary basis to carry out preventive work to reduce the risk of forest fires and maintain the natural environment. The Vice-President and Consellera for Housing, Employment, Youth and Equality, Susana Camarero, spoke of record figures and emphasised the dual aim: promoting local employment and strengthening resilience to fires.
The decision, with deadlines and procedural requirements, has been Diari Oficial de la Generalitat Valenciana published. It provides the legal basis for applications from local councils and subsequent awards. Emerge is a Labora funding scheme that links municipal projects for Wildfire prevention to fixed-term employment contracts for people who were previously unemployed. The appointments are made in accordance with Labora’s requirements and are based on the respective municipal fire prevention plans and local maps.
Typical measures include maintaining vegetation strips along access roads, creating or clearing firebreaks near settlements, clearing undergrowth in particularly high-risk areas, and maintaining green spaces that act as a buffer against fire. The aim is to slow the spread of potential fires and support emergency services if a fire breaks out. The administration points out that the number of beneficiary municipalities and employment contracts is set out precisely in the published documents.
Camarero stressed that the Emerge programme has reached record levels this year. The Generalitat Valenciana places the scheme within its region-wide wildfire prevention strategy, which combines preventive land management, awareness-raising and improved coordination of emergency response. The current funding decision establishes the framework for projects that will provide short-term training while also improving concrete protective structures on the ground.
Regarding implementation, the administration emphasises compliance with Labora’s technical criteria. The list of beneficiary bodies and details of procedures, obligations and deadlines are documented in the Diari Oficial de la Generalitat Valenciana. The measure covers the whole Comunitat Valenciana and is therefore designed to extend beyond individual provinces or the metropolitan area Valencia as well.
Editor: Andreas M. Brucker (Article created with AI assistance).