Spanish government drafts law to tighten construction standards in flood‑prone zones

The Spanish government is preparing a new real decree‑law to reform regulations for flood‑prone areas. The draft aims to improve municipal preparedness and increase protection for residents after the damaging October 2024 DANA event. Key measures include stricter construction requirements, such as prohibiting new residential buildings and vulnerable installations in high‑risk zones, banning basements or ground‑floor habitations, and mandating that the first floor of new structures be at least one metre above the historical flood level. Existing buildings in flood zones will face new adaptation obligations, and owners must disclose flood‑risk information in property sale contracts.

The text will be open for public consultation from 16 July to 16 September. In parallel, the government has approved €60 million in direct subsidies for 78 municipalities affected by the DANA, part of a broader resilience programme that now exceeds €600 million, covering works such as barriers, waterproof doors and early‑warning systems in the Valencia region.