Recently, the flooding caused by DANA in the Valencian Community has highlighted the vulnerability of many regions of Spain to flood risks. He Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO) offers an online tool to identify and classify risk areasdividing them according to the probability of flooding in 50, 100 or 500 years. According to some reports, much of the coastline and banks of rivers like the Ebro, Duero and Guadalquivir are exposed to flooding, particularly many capitals and urbanized areas.
This risk affects more than a third of municipalities in Spain, with towns like Huelva, Seville, Valencia and Zaragoza among the most vulnerable. In Madrid, several areas have also been identified with flood-prone land. A recurring problem is that many urbanizations have been built on ancient stream beds or underground canalswhich makes it difficult to manage heavy rainfall and causes flooding. To mitigate the damage, it is essential to use cards such as those from MITECO and take appropriate precautions in the urban planning.
The areas most at risk of flooding in Spain
It is estimated that Spain currently has more than 21,000 kilometers of flood-prone areas, a figure expected to increase to 27,381 kilometers with a return period of 500 years. Projections suggest that up to five million people, or around 10% of Spain’s population, could be exposed to flooding.
According to a report from the Dotgis company, 2,075 Spanish municipalities face a recurring risk of river floodss, affecting nearly 480,000 people. The Valencian Community stands out as the most vulnerable region, but other provinces such as Zaragoza, Navarra, Burgos and Lérida also present important risk areas.
The study also reveals that some municipalities have a high percentage of their population exposed to flooding, such as Deltebre to Tarragona (86.3%) and several cities of Valencia and Salamanca with more than 50% of their population in danger. This analysis highlights the urgency of implementing measures to mitigate these risks.
Andalusia
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changeo, the intensity of phenomena such as DANA has increased by 15% in recent years and is expected to become more frequent and more serious. In 2019, the Sustainable Development Observatory already warned about the vulnerability of Valencia, where more than 100,000 people live in areas subject to frequent flooding.
In Andalusia, some coastal areas present a high risk, such as Palmones-Guadarranque to CádizIsla Cristina-Ayamonte in Huelva and Bajo Guadalhorce in Málaga, which have been identified as “hotspots” due to their high exposure to flooding. In addition, according to the Ministry of Ecological Transition (MITECO), more than 2.7 million people live in areas at high risk of flooding, with a significant concentration in the Guadalquivir, Segura and Júcar basins.
Spanish cities that will disappear in 2050
Climate change is having increasingly intense and visible effects, and Spain is not immune to these phenomena. According to the latest NASA projectionssea level rise and extreme temperatures could turn many of its regions into uninhabitable places by 2050. Sea level rise, driven by polar melting and global warming, will seriously affect coastal regions of the country.
Coastal tourist towns such as Huelva and Tarifaas well as others like Barcelona, could see sea levels rise up to 1 meter by the end of the century, threatening to flood their low-lying areas. According to NASA, by 2050, some regions of the country, such as Madrid and the Valencian Community, could face temperatures above 35 degrees for more than three months a year. This could lead to unsustainable conditions for human life, as temperatures above 35 degrees for more than six hours at a time are fatal for most people.
On the other hand, climate change is also exacerbating drought and water scarcity in various regions of Spain. According to experts, it is estimated that precipitation will decrease by 10% per year in many regions, which could worsen the problem of water shortage in the country, especially in the south and the Canary Islands. This phenomenon will affect a large part of Spanish cities, with a particularly strong impact on the areas of the Iberian Peninsula most exposed to heat and drought, such as Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha and Valencian Community.
Additionally, the effects of water scarcity will be felt in regions that have historically experienced a wetter climate, due to greater unpredictability of precipitation and increased runoff. In terms of flood risks, the coastal areas of the Atlantic, Cantabrian and Mediterranean They are considered very vulnerable, endangering not only the natural environment, but also infrastructure and regions close to the sea.
