Nine per cent of dwellings in Spain are at risk of flooding from rising rivers, and 19.3 per cent of dwellings face a "very high" seismic risk.

More than two million homes in Spain are located in areas where there is a risk of flooding due to rising rivers, to which another 330,000 homes are exposed to similar risks due to their proximity to the sea. This is the result of the report Mapa de riesgos del parque de viviendas en España prepared by ST Analytics, in which the valuation company points out that there are also 5 million homes exposed to a "very high" seismic risk, an exposure that they clarify that the current regulations already take into account in order to avoid "serious consequences"..

Of the total of 25.8 million homes that make up the Spanish housing stock, 9% are located in areas with some level of affectation by river flooding - from a high probability of suffering it in a period of ten years to exceptional exposure in a period of half a century - according to the analysis of the Grupo Sociedad de Tasación. Valladolid, Murcia, Seville and Girona are, in that order, the provinces most exposed to possible river flooding..

Earthquake risk

In addition to these flood risks, the ST Analytics report notes that 19.3% of the park faces a "very high" seismic risk. "The data on seismic risk are based on the geological analysis of each region, with Spain in general being a country exposed to possible incidents of this type due to its location on the convergence of the Eurasian and African plates," explains the general manager of ST Analytics, Alejandro González, who explains that current regulations already contemplate this exposure and provide for technical requirements aimed at avoiding risks to the health and safety of residents..

By provinces, Granada, Alicante and Almeria are the most exposed to seismic risks. In 99% of the dwellings in these areas, a "very high" risk is observed, due to their proximity to the Alboran Sea and, therefore, to the Averroes fault. Among the most exposed municipalities in each of these provinces are Atarfe, La Zubia and Churriana de la Vega in Granada; Santa Pola, Elda and Mutxamel in Alicante and Almería city, Roquetas de Mar and Vera in Almería. Also in Malaga, 96% of the dwellings (959,018) are located in areas of very high seismic risk, in municipalities such as Marbella, Mijas and Fuengirola..

Somewhat further north, Valencia concentrates 1,017,330 dwellings in seismic risk areas (69%), such as Gandía, Sueca and Oliva. The situation is similar in Murcia, where 62% of the properties share this exposure, especially in Molina de Segura, Cehegín and Abarán..