Andalusia has been affected by terrible floods due to prolonged heavy rains in recent days. It is because of that the Government has approved some changes in the legislation that allow reinforcing the response capacity to floods.
The risk of flooding is becoming more and more aggravated by the effects of climate change. That is why the Government implements changes in the legislation.
A decree has been approved to modify the regulations of Hydraulic Public Domain and Hydrological Planning. These changes will be able to clarify the land uses in the areas most prone to flooding in order to guarantee the safety of people and property. In addition, changes in the legislation make it possible to strengthen the implementation of "Ecological flows" and this will enable the declaration of new hydrological reserves.
These actions have been carried out to meet the demands imposed on us in the Water Framework Directive and the Flood Risk Assessment and Management Directive. Among the actions carried out is that of being able to identify the uses and activities that are most vulnerable to floods. With these modifications, these areas will be able to adapt somewhat better to the effects of climate change, since an adequate and more responsible spatial planning and good urban planning will be promoted.
These changes are intended to increase the resilience and in this way reduce the vulnerability of these places before flood episodes. On the issue of ecological flows, the changes to the regulations maintain their legal nature as a "restriction on the use of water in exploitation systems" and define the criteria to guarantee their maintenance, control and monitoring.
The importance of increasing the number of Hydrological Reserves is that they are especially important to avoid the pressures that are exerted in certain places and that can contaminate drinking water supplies.