The Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge and the Ministry of the Interior, has given the green light to the Royal Decree for the revision and updating of the Flood Risk Management Plan (PGRI) of the Ceuta hydrographic demarcation.
These documents of state competence, prepared by the Hydrographic Confederation of Guadalquivir (CHG), are binding on the Member States and have as their objective the coordinated action of all administrations and society to reduce the consequences of the floods on human health, the environment, cultural heritage and economic activity.
The approved plan involves updating the first cycle documents. To this end, the CHG has carried out an intense work of reviewing the Plan to comply with the European Directive for the Evaluation and Management of Flood Risks and its transposition into the Spanish legal system, through three phases:
1. Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (EPRI) and identification of Areas with Significant Potential Flood Risk (ARPSIs).
2. Preparation of Hazard and Flood Risk Maps.
3. Development of Flood Risk Management Plans, phase in which we are currently.
In the first phase, in the hydrographic demarcation of Ceuta a total of 8.76 kilometers of sections of Areas of Significant Potential Flood Risk (ARPSIs), composed of 5.99 km of river origin and 2.77 km of coastal origin and distributed in 7 ARPSIs, 4 river and 3 coastal.
For its part, the development of the second phase did not involve modifications to the maps approved in the first cycle.
The third phase began with the publication in the BOE (22/06/2021) of the beginning of the period of public consultation of the document for three months. Throughout this period, written notification was sent to the bodies and institutions involved in risk management so that they could make the contributions and make the observations and suggestions they deem appropriate.
All the allegations and collaborations received were duly studied and answered, incorporating in the final document the relevant modifications of those that were considered appropriate
With the recent approval of the PGRI, the third phase of the second cycle of the Plan ends, which will be in force until 2027, when it will be replaced by a new revised document, according to the needs of that time.
PGRI improvements over first cycle
Flood preparedness, increased risk perception, the adoption of self-protection strategies and greater awareness are essential to successfully implement the measures contemplated in the PGRI, so one of the most important actions planned in this cycle is the elaboration and implementation of a National Strategy for Flood Risk Communication and adaptation to climate change.
For this second cycle of the PGRI, the identification of the elements at risk (hospitals, schools, senior centers, places of outstanding public attendance, energy facilities, railway infrastructures, airports, etc.) has also been improved. in close collaboration with the Civil Protection authorities, the information provided by the risk maps is now more accurate and adjusted to the needs of emergency management.
Along with this improvement of knowledge, the PGRI also delves into the study of the impact of climate change. These plans involve the consolidation of adaptation programmes to flood risk and include the development of specific programmes to increase resilience in the sectors or territorial areas most affected.
Another fundamental aspect of the documents lies in the prediction of avenues and the warning system. In this second cycle, the modernization and optimization of the control networks, the increase of measurement points and the development of computer tools necessary to improve the management of water resources in a situation of avenue are contemplated.
In order to drive nature-based solutions, the new plans also envisage measures to improve the condition of water bodies, focusing flood risk management towards sustainable and efficient actions. In addition, they promote the implementation of measures that increase river space, the recovery of habitats, the creation of floodplains and setbacks or the elimination of obsolete or poorly functioning protection works, all in coordination with hydrological planning and the protection of ecosystems.
Ceuta Hydrographic Demarcation Measurement Program
The program of measures of the Hydrographic Demarcation of Ceuta is composed of 36 general measures, which can be organized according to their typology and scope of application:
- By territorial area in which the measure applies: national, autonomous, demarcation and ARPSI.
- By risk management phase to which the measure contributes: prevention, protection, preparation and recovery.
- By type of measure, in accordance with the Hydrological Planning Instruction and the reporting groups established in coordination with the River Basin Plan.
The budget programmed for 2027 is 1.52 M€, of which the majority corresponds to prevention measures (72% of the total, 1.09 M€), the maintenance and conservation of channels (0.66 M€), studies to improve knowledge or the adaptation of elements in flood zones.
Also noteworthy are the protection measures (28% of the total, 0.43 M€), of which the budget dedicated to the drafting of river and hydrological forest restoration projects, and the programs to improve river and sediment continuity (0.38 M€) stands out.