The Autonomous Region is committed to creating 'sponge cities' as a more effective sustainable solution against flooding in the Mar Menor
It will promote the implementation of sustainable drainage measures with the aim of progressively slowing down waters along the length of the whole basin
It is the main conclusion of the study commissioned by the Regional Ministry for Development and Infrastructures from the Polytechnic University of Cartagena
The Autonomous Region is committed to creating 'sponge cities' as a more effective sustainable solution to fight against flooding in the flood basin of the Mar Menor, which will be achieved by implementing sustainable urban drainage Systems (SUDS) in urban environments to efficiently manage rain and episodes of heavy runoff.
The creation of these types of cities is the main conclusion of the study commissioned by the Regional Ministry for Development and Infrastructures from a research team at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT). It proposes the use of permeable paving, floodable parks, and the use of separate networks for draining rainwater and wastewater, with systems to reuse the rainwater.
This study was carried out as part of the Sustainable Construction and Architecture Strategy and it also responds to the priority objective of flood prevention established by the regional government after the 'DANA' storm of 2019.
Regional minister José Ramón Díez de Revenga and university vice-chancellor Beatriz Miguel Fernández presented the study today, which contains a catalogue of constructive procedures regarding the implementation of Nature-based Solutions, with the aim of progressively slowing down water along the whole of the basin, by retaining the water, storing it and infiltrating it into the ground.
"We are proposing an alternative and natural solution to coastal towns to manage their rainwater in such a way that it does not overload the sewage networks when heavy rains occur," the minister explained. Furthermore, he indicated that these types of solutions will also drive the "ecological transition of the construction sector".
The implementation of SUDS will help manage rainwater and episodes of heavy runoff efficiently, since as the surface water flows, the speed of the flow is controlled and it is diverted towards retention and infiltration zones, thus minimising flooding in the built-up areas of the cities."
The regional leader stated that "it is a matter of creating an alternative path for rainwater, that's much more natural, and achieves more of a retention effect, because that way we avoid an increase in flooding".
Green legislation
The Region of Murcia is the autonomous community with the most advanced green legislation in Spain, thanks to the recent legislative change. The current Ground Regulation, as well as covering the sustainable development goals (SDGs), promotes measures to prevent and mitigate the effects of climate change through renaturalisation of cities and renovation of buildings using sustainability criteria.
The study contains plans to implement Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems from all perspectives of development. On the one hand, the Regional Government is considering their application in the Land Use Plans to coordinate their roll-out in several urban areas. In that respect, two separate Land Use Plans will soon be drafted, one for the risk of flooding and another specifically for the Mar Menor, which will include an ecological corridor to act as an eco-sustainable natural filter.
Furthermore, the obligatory nature of applying these measures has been established in the general plans for municipal planning, partial plans and special plans. Likewise, they will be included in urban development projects in streets, green areas and car parks to eliminate the vulnerability of public spaces, as well as in maintenance works for the urban development of public spaces.
