Interview: Infrastructure improvements key to addressing deadly floods in Spain, expert says

MADRID, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) — Infrastructure improvements are essential to managing large-scale flooding, such as the deadly flash floods that recently struck eastern and southeastern Spain, a Madrid-based expert said.
Civil engineering solutions, including dams and flood channels, are key to mitigating the impact of such catastrophic floods, explained Luis Mediero, a professor at the School of Civil Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
Spain’s eastern region of Valencia bore the brunt of the late October flooding. In some areas, rainfall reached between 300 and 491 liters per square meter in just eight hours — the equivalent of an entire year’s volume — according to the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).
While Mediero acknowledged that such extreme weather events are rare, he pointed to certain infrastructure that proved effective in resisting the floods, such as a diversion channel running south of Valencia’s center that successfully prevented floodwaters from entering the historic area.
He also highlighted the role of roller dams in both Valencia and Murcia, which stored substantial volumes of water, significantly reducing damage in numerous downstream towns.
Mediero described such infrastructure projects as “sustainable urban scenic cells,” which function like sponges, enabling the city to absorb all precipitation within the area. This design, he noted, enhances the city’s resilience to heavy rainfall and flooding.
Despite the existing infrastructure, the unprecedented intensity of rainfall and flooding overwhelmed 78 municipalities, including 75 in Valencia, two in Castilla-La Mancha, and one in Andalusia, impacting a population of over 500,000. The deluge flooded streets, destroyed homes, swept away vehicles, and left over 200 dead, with dozens still missing.
To prevent future tragedies, Mediero stressed the importance of building more flood-resistant infrastructure and, even more critically, incorporating climate change considerations into the design of new infrastructure to improve resilience against extreme weather events. ■