Overview
- The first-phase revision of Patricova, published in the Diari Oficial de la Generalitat Valenciana, expands mapped flood-prone area from 27,162 to 43,779 hectares, a roughly 61% increase concentrated in l'Horta Sud and the Bajo Turia.
- The draft ties seven hazard levels to concrete rules for new and reformed buildings, including raising ground floors to flood levels, requiring taller housing, banning underground parking in medium-risk zones, and prohibiting construction in the highest-risk areas.
- The update is grounded in UPV hydrometeorological work that used 11,720 pluviometer records from 1,090 stations, modeled 25-, 100-, 500- and 2,000-year scenarios, and concludes events like the October 29, 2024 dana correspond to roughly 1,000–2,000‑year return periods.
- Implementation depends on local governments because municipal general plans control land use; only 12 of 74 evaluated municipalities have already adapted their plans and the plan will be notified to towns and the Confederación Hidrográfica del Júcar before approval.
- The technical team estimates about €1.43 billion of hydraulic interventions plus basin-scale and nature-based measures would be needed, and residents could face stricter limits on development, relocation of vulnerable uses, and new evacuation and self-protection measures.