Spain mandates earthquake preparedness plans for Almería and Córdoba municipalities

Following a directive approved by the Council of Ministers and published in the Official State Gazette (BOE), various municipalities in Spain must now design local action plans to prepare for significant seismic risks. The directive identifies areas where earthquakes of intensity VII or higher are foreseeable based on National Geographic Institute (IGN) studies for a 475-year return period.

In Almería, all 103 municipalities are included in the list due to the geological activity of the Eastern Betic System, caused by the movement between the African and Eurasian plates. The mandate requires these administrations to establish emergency response protocols, including population notification, confinement or evacuation procedures, access control, the establishment of shelters, and organized search and rescue operations.

In the province of Córdoba, 36 municipalities are included in the high-risk annex, such as Fuente Palmera, Córdoba, and Lucena. Notably, Iznájar is identified as being in a higher risk zone, categorized under intensity VIII. The inclusion of a municipality in these lists is determined by whether any part of its territory falls within the designated hazard bands, regardless of whether the urban centers themselves are in the highest risk zones.