Valencia updates flood risk maps, increasing at-risk land by 60%

PATRICOVA flood risk Valencia DANA urban planning

The Valencian government has initiated a revision of the Territorial Action Plan for Flood Risk Prevention (PATRICOVA), identifying a more than 60% increase in land at risk of flooding. This update follows the devastating DANA weather event in October 2024, which revealed that previous risk maps underestimated the scale of potential flooding.

The revised cartography expands the mapped flood-prone area from 27,162 hectares to 43,779 hectares. Significant increases were noted in the Horta Sud district, where the risk area grew from approximately 7,300 hectares to over 16,000 hectares. The study focuses on four primary zones: Upper Magro, Lower Magro, the ravines of Horta Sud, and the lower Turia area below the Loriguilla dam.

To mitigate these risks, the government is proposing new urban planning measures, such as limiting the construction of underground parking lots and encouraging vertical construction in vulnerable areas. Officials also noted a significant gap in local preparedness, stating that only 12 of 74 municipalities affected by the recent floods had municipal general plans properly adapted to flood risk requirements.

The revision process includes a public information period following its publication in the Official Gazette of the Generalitat Valenciana (DOGV).

Entities

Confederación Hidrográfica del Júcar · Félix Francés · Generalitat Valenciana · PATRICOVA · Universitat Politècnica de Valencia · Valencia · Vicente Martínez Mus

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] The increase in risk is largely due to accounting for the possibility of catastrophic flooding. www.apuntmedia.es
[○ 1 SOURCE] The new plan proposes limiting underground parking construction in high-risk areas. vivirediciones.es
[● 3 SOURCES] The first phase of the PATRICOVA revision focuses on four areas: Upper Magro, Lower Magro, Horta Sud ravines, and Lower Turia. www.apuntmedia.es · euroweeklynews.com
[● 6 SOURCES] The revision of the PATRICOVA plan increases the identified flood-risk area by more than 60%. www.apuntmedia.es · diariodealicante.net · vivirediciones.es · castellondiario.com · euroweeklynews.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Only 12 of 74 affected municipalities had their general plans adapted to flood risk requirements since 2003. www.diariodemallorca.es · www.farodevigo.es · www.eldia.es
[● 2 SOURCES] The Horta Sud district saw an increase in flood-prone area from 7,301 hectares to over 16,000 hectares. www.apuntmedia.es · euroweeklynews.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The revision announcement was scheduled for publication in the DOGV on Friday, October 16. diariodealicante.net · castellondiario.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The mapped area at risk of flooding has increased from 27,162 hectares to 43,779 hectares. euroweeklynews.com