A recent academic work from the University of Alicante concludes that one in every five homes located in rural areas of the municipality is located in flood-prone environmentsThe analysis focuses on the scattered areas and in those buildings built in recent decades in areas with active river dynamics.
Beyond the amount of rain, the risk is heightened by the impermeable lithology of the land, the abandonment of crops in old ravines and the irregular expansion of buildings in low spots and near gullies. This combination favors a low infiltration and very high runoff, a pattern that already manifested itself in episodes such as the floods of 1982 and 1997 in Alicante.
X-ray of the risk in rural areas
The author of the research, Carles Vaquer Pastor, has identified and mapped almost 9.000 buildings on rural and urban land in rural areas. Of these, around 1.800 are exposed when they are recorded heavy rains, with potential impacts on both homes and essential infrastructures.
The study warns of two parallel realities: buildings in urban land without basic public services and others built on rural land where current urban planning regulations would not be complied with. This mix of planning deficits and occupation in flood-prone areas increases the potential impact on the safety and quality of life of the resident population.
Hotspots: Cañada del Fenollar and the network of ravines
Where the problem gets worse is in the Fenollar glen, an area crossed by the Rambla de l'Alabastre and its confluence with the Rambla del Rambutxar. In this area, the study estimates that up to 40% Of about 1.320 buildings, both urban and rural, are located in areas with significant probability of flooding.
The exhibition also affects facilities, with special mention to the Cañada del Fenollar Primary School. According to the report, episodes of heavy rain have caused interruptions in access to basic services and communication networks, a situation that aggravates the vulnerability of families and students themselves.
How the analysis was done
The team, led by teachers Pablo Giménez Font y Antonio Prieto Cerdán, combined information from the Cadastre and the PATRICOVA (sectoral Territorial Action Plan on Flood Risk Prevention in the Valencian Community) with data from the Valencian Cartographic Institute and the INEThis database made it possible to draw a detailed map of the areas most at risk.
In addition to institutional sources, we resorted to Satellite images and interviews with neighbors to integrate the physical interpretation of the territory with its social impact. With this methodology, the study detects irregular housing near ramblas y depressed areas, precisely where the sheet of water can concentrate and cut off access.
The role of land and the change of uses
The rural areas have flat-bottomed ravines of traditional agricultural use today in decline, partly replaced by scattered residential occupation. Agricultural abandonment, coupled with the presence of impermeable marls, has reduced infiltration and accelerated surface runoff, amplifying the danger in storms.
This model of scattered, recent and often irregular occupation has left buildings in enclaves with active hydrological dynamicsThe result is a mosaic of plots where intense rain meets low absorption capacity and natural ways to concentrate and overflow.
Social impact and institutional response
According to the author, the local population not only coexists with the physical insecurity typical of flooding, but with the lack of adapted support in case of need. The Cañada del Fenollar Residents' Association has reported saturation in the ambulatory and at school, deficiencies in waste collection and an increase in insecurity, calling for greater municipal involvement.
At the administrative level, the neighborhood entity has gathered support from the Civil Guard (Guardia Civil), especially from SEPRONA and the Government Subdelegation. For its part, the municipal service recognizes the seriousness of the problem and is studying urgent actions, such as improving coordination between the Valencian Territory Protection Agency, the Department of Urban Planning and the Civil Guard itself.
The study also recalls the situation of Primary School Cañada del Fenollar, where prefabricated classrooms were installed almost two decades ago and works were announced six years ago to reinforce the center's security. The project, they point out, is in the hands of the City Council, which must put the actions out to tender relevant.
Measures on the table and pending challenges
Among the lines of work cited by the administrations and the community, the need to stand out strengthen urban planning control In flood-prone areas, improve the maintenance of channels and gullies, and prioritize secure access for emergencies in episodes of heavy rain.
It is also proposed to promote warning systems and protocols civil protection adapted to the particularities of rural areas, along with investments in basic services that reduce the social vulnerability of those who live in these environments.
With the available data, Alicante faces a challenge that combines geography, planning, and social cohesion: 1 in 5 homes Rural areas map a risk that is concentrated in critical areas such as the Cañada del Fenollar and that requires institutional coordination, clear urban planning criteria and practical solutions that protect people and the territory.
