Study of the hydrological risks in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. Geographic approach and territorial planning

Abstract

This paper shows the current studies on hydrological risks in the outh-east Spain, a region specially producing hazard situations. This area is one of the most arid regions of Europe, characterized by extraordinary rains of high hourly intensity causing bulky discharges and overflows, but also by the installation of dense urban nucleus in coastal areas and fertile plains. The scanty one, or in occasions unfortunate, dialog between environment and man has done of this one an area of notable interest for numerous researchers on the risk processes associated with hydrological extreme events. The ephemeral flow regime and the hydraulic effects of the linear infrastructures and drainage works complicate the estimation of the flood discharges, increasing the above mentioned degree of complexity. There are several models, programs and projects focused on these questions, but a major knowledge is still absent on this type of risk processes, particularly in relation with the generation of flood areas. For it is necessary a cartographic information base of more detail and the incorporation of factors till now very little considered as those hydro-morphological or the indicators of vulnerability.