Land-use limitations applicable at National level

Preferential floodway Flood-prone area

Land Use
Rural land Urbanized land
Special regime for
municipalities with
Rural land Urbanized land
Land-use planning in flood-prone areas in Spain:
Floods Directive and Spanish Water Act
high likelihood of
flood
Only if there is no
School or health centres, retirement homes, alternative location To be avoided,
disability care homes, sports centres, penitentiary No No and if it is designed unless there is no Can be permitted if
facilities, fire stations, Civil Protection facilities with security alternative location security conditions
conditions and if it is designed are considered to
with security the possible extent
Large commercial areas where crowds of people conditions
No No No
could gather
Yes, if security
Buildings, repair works, rehabilitation or change of
Yes, with security Yes, with security Yes, with security conditions are
use, underground garages, basements and surface No
conditions conditions conditions considered to the
car parks, and other underground constructions
possible extent
Facilities where products likely to be hazardous to
human health and the environment are handled
Yes, with security
such as gas stations, industrial treatment plants, No No No
conditions
waste stores or electrical facilities for high and
medium tension

Yes, with security Can be permitted if

Campsites, accommodations areas and buildings
conditions and security conditions
associated with campsites No To be avoided,
outside the police are considered to
area unless there is no the possible extent
alternative location
Only if there is no Only if there is no and if it is designed
alternative location alternative location with security
Urban waste water treatment plants
or if systems are or if systems are conditions
compatible with compatible with
floods floods
Greenhouses, non-permeable enclosures and These activities do
fences, material or waste storage No not usually occur No Yes Yes
in urbanized land.
Changes in land morphology that could alter the If they happen to
capacity of discharge No exist, at least the Yes Yes Yes
corresponding
security conditions
must be guaranteed Yes, with security
Livestock breeding farms conditions and

NIPO: 013-17-041-1 - D. L. (inglés): M-7690-2017

No Yes Yes
outside the police
area

Only if there Only if there

is no feasible is no feasible
alternative to these alternative to these
Linear infrastructures in parallel to the riverbed infrastructures and if infrastructures and if Yes Yes
the latter have been the latter have been
designed minimising designed minimising
risk risk

Sanitation and water supply infrastructures and

other underground pipes; works for maintenance, Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
enhance and protection of existing infrastructures

Buildings for agricultural use with a maximum

Yes, with security Yes, with security Yes, with security
of 40 m2 and works associated with water uses Yes Yes
conditions conditions conditions
allowed by Spanish Water Act

n addition, as a supplementary requirement, promoters of actions in Preferential floodway or in Flood-prone areas must sign a statement in which they recognise that they
 I

know and assume the existing risks and the Civil Protection measures to be applied and they commit themselves to inform other people likely to be affected. Furthermore, in
certain cases, it must be noted in the Land Registry that the building is located in Preferential floodway or in a Flood-prone area. Nevertheless, in exceptional cases and for
buildings already existing, the competent authorities will encourage affected people to adopt measures for self-protection and vulnerability reduction according to current
Civil Protection legislation GOBIERNO MINISTERIO
DE ESPAÑA DE AGRICULTURA Y PESCA,
ALIMENTACIÓN Y MEDIO AMBIENTE

Autonomous Communities can establish additional land-use limitations in flood-prone areas in accordance with their competence in spatial planning. Regulations in
the River Basin Management Plans can also include certain land-use limitations.

http://www.mapama.gob.es/es/agua/temas/gestion-de-los-riesgos-de-inundacion/ National Mapping System for Flood-Prone Areas: sig.mapama.es/snczi

 Floods Directive, Flood Risk Management Plans and Land-Use Planning The National Mapping System for Flood-Prone Areas sig.mapama.es/snczi

~~ In Spain, Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs) represent the main tool for flood risk reduction, according to the ~~ In this viewer, layers of flood-prone areas, APSFR, preferential floodway and hydraulic public domain, as well flood
guidelines set in the Royal Decree 903/2010 on the assessment and management of flood risks which transposes hazard and risk maps, are displayed.
the Directive 2007/60/EC (Floods Directive).
~~ One of the objectives of the FRMPs is to improve land use and urban planning policies, in collaboration with the
Autonomous Communities, by means of setting land use limitations. The aim is to establish activities in the flood-
prone areas compatible, as far as possible, with flooding.

Zoning in flood-prone areas according to the Spanish Water Act

~~ The Spanish Water Act defines the different river areas and the limitations to the uses that can be made of these
areas. Preferential floodway

Flood-prone area (T=500 years)

Image from the National
Mapping System for Flood-
Hydraulic Public Domain. Art. 2 Spanish Water Act Police area. Art. 6 Spanish Water Act Hydraulic Public Domain Prone Areas that shows the
Easement use area
zoning of the Guadalentín
The Hydraulic Public Domain (riverbed) includes, among others, the 100m-wide land strip on both sides of the riverbed. It can be Police area
river in Lorca (Murcia).
land covered by water under maximum normal rises in level. widen to include the preferential floodway. Any activity must be
They are publicly owned. authorised by the River Basin Authority.

Easement use area. Art. 6 Spanish Water Act

5m-wide land strip on both sides of the riverbed. Uses are limited
to protect river ecosystems and ensure public passage.
1
Floodway:
Area where the flow is concentrated for a 100-year
return period. Any obstacle in this zone generates
Preferential floodway significant flood level increase.
Preferential floodway
Area where the flood flow is concentrated1 and where the flood
hazard is high2 (high velocity and depth). Only the non-vulnerable +
activities and those that do not reduce the outflow capacity will be
Flood-prone area (T=500 years)
Image from the National
allowed. Mapping System for Flood-
Prone Areas that shows the
Severe damages area:
Hydraulic Public Domain
2
Easement use area zoning of the Duero river in
Flood-prone area. Art.11 Spanish Water Act Flood-prone area with a 100-year return period and Police area
Zamora.
water depth >1m, flow velocity >1m/s, or the product
Area covered by flood events with 500-year return period (0,2% of both greater than 0,5m2/s.
annual probability). Land-use limitations deriving from the implementation of the Spanish Water Act
The Royal Decree 638/2016, published on December 29th 2016, details the Spanish Water Act in some aspects such as flood
risk management, identifying uses and activities that may be vulnerable in case of flooding according to different criteria:

Legally defined river areas under the Spanish Water Act Depending on the location area: Depending on land situation on December, 29th
2016 (according to the Spanish Land Law):
FLOOD-PRONE AREA (500-YEAR FLOOD) Preferential floodway: Strict limitations to most land
uses. ~~ Urbanized land: land already integrated in an urban
PREFERENTIAL FLOODWAY
Flood-prone area: Limitations to most of vulnerable ac- grid, as well as the land occupied by the network of
tivities and less restrictive conditions. typical supplies and services of urban areas.
POLICE AREA
MAXIMUM NORMAL FLOODS
POLICE AREA
Special regime for municipalities with high likelihood of ~~ Rural land: the rest of lands.

EASEMENT EASEMENT flood: For municipalities with more than a 1/3 of their
USE AREA
LOW WATERS USE AREA land included in preferential floodway or municipalities
RIVERBED whose land morphology materially prevents future ex-
HYDRAULIC PUBLIC DOMAIN pansion out of the flood-prone area.

http://www.mapama.gob.es/es/agua/temas/gestion-de-los-riesgos-de-inundacion/ http://www.mapama.gob.es/es/agua/temas/gestion-de-los-riesgos-de-inundacion/