Valencia Unveils €4 Million Anti-Flood Strategy Over a Year and a Half After Tragic DANA

More than a year and a half after the tragic DANA storm of October 29, 2024, Valencia has developed a comprehensive protection plan to prevent a repeat of the disaster. The Júcar Hydrographic Confederation (CHJ) is preparing ten major projects aimed at reducing flood risks across the Poyo ravine, the Magro River, and the Pozalet-Saleta system basins. The Ministry for Ecological Transition has allocated nearly four million euros to draft these engineering proposals.

Widening the Poyo Ravine

The catastrophic water surge in the Poyo ravine was a primary driver of the devastating DANA calamity. The strategy foresees progressively expanding its discharge capacity from the area around Torrent down to its mouth at the Albufera lagoon. Where the channel is currently too narrow to handle high volumes, capacity will be added so torrential rainwater drains faster without overflowing into surrounding communities.

Water Retention and Storage Zones

A core component of the plan involves establishing dedicated zones to hold excess water during extreme downpours. Outside built-up areas, these will consist of earth depressions and protective embankments. Within urban areas, floodable parks will double as recreational spaces in normal weather and transform into natural retention basins during torrential rains. One such park is planned on the border of Paiporta, Catarroja, Massanassa, and Sedaví.

With the same objective, a "green corridor" will be established along the Poyo ravine, linking it to the new Turia riverbed. During severe flood events, this corridor will absorb surplus runoff, provided engineers determine that doing so is safe.

The Magro River and Valencia's Southern Suburbs

The Magro riverbed will also undergo widening. New water retention zones will be developed near Utiel. Between the Forata reservoir and Carlet, down through Algemesí, the river channel will be expanded alongside bank vegetation restoration. In Valencia's southern suburbs—which bore the brunt of the 2024 flooding—studies will address ways to improve drainage, including analysing how the V-30 highway and railway infrastructure obstruct runoff during severe storms.

The initial detailed designs are set to be finalised this autumn. Residents, local authorities, and civic organisations will then have the opportunity to review the plans and submit feedback before final approval. Construction will roll out in phases, prioritising areas with the highest flood risk. While the confederation does not claim flooding can be completely eliminated, it aims to ensure that a future severe DANA event will not trigger a similar tragedy.