Historical Floods and Territorial Planning: Lessons Learned and Opportunities Lost after the Santa Teresa Flood (1879) in the Segura Basin (Spain)
Historical cartography is one of the principal tools used in correct flood adaptation and management based on territorial planning. In fact, Directive 2007/60/EC on the assessment and management of flood risks includes the analysis and inventory of historical floods in a river basin for assessing th...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-12-01
|
| Series: | Land |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/28 |
| _version_ | 1797343185498800128 |
|---|---|
| author | Antonio Oliva Jorge Olcina |
| author_facet | Antonio Oliva Jorge Olcina |
| author_sort | Antonio Oliva |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Historical cartography is one of the principal tools used in correct flood adaptation and management based on territorial planning. In fact, Directive 2007/60/EC on the assessment and management of flood risks includes the analysis and inventory of historical floods in a river basin for assessing the flood hazard and risk existing in a geographical space. This study seeks to analyse the largest flood registered in the Segura basin, occurring on 14–15 October 1879, which attracted enormous interest on a national and international level. The methodology applied is based on the consultation of historical sources and historical cartography, and the elaboration of maps using GIS, enabling comparisons to be made with current flood zones. The results show that the Santa Teresa flood was very similar to the Spanish National Cartographic Systems for Flood Areas (SNCZI) map for a 500-year return period. Furthermore, it allows the identification of the sensitive points along the course of the river or those prone to burst banks or overflowing, which practically coincide with the current maps and modelling conducted by the official bodies. Furthermore, the buildings in the floodable area in the historical cartography have been counted and reconstructed on a GIS map and the SNCZI. Massive anthropic occupation through the construction of settlements and infrastructures (hospitals, schools, centers for the elderly, roads and railways) in the Guadalentín valley and the Segura River increases the risk of flooding in the study area, despite the numerous control and regulation works carried out in the Segura River basin. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:44:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2c686bba06f840a7b5c0c2463a9adfd4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:44:06Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj.art-2c686bba06f840a7b5c0c2463a9adfd42024-01-26T17:19:47ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2023-12-011312810.3390/land13010028Historical Floods and Territorial Planning: Lessons Learned and Opportunities Lost after the Santa Teresa Flood (1879) in the Segura Basin (Spain)Antonio Oliva0Jorge Olcina1Interuniversity Institute of Geography, University of Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, SpainDepartament of Regional Geographical Analysis and Physical Geography, University of Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, SpainHistorical cartography is one of the principal tools used in correct flood adaptation and management based on territorial planning. In fact, Directive 2007/60/EC on the assessment and management of flood risks includes the analysis and inventory of historical floods in a river basin for assessing the flood hazard and risk existing in a geographical space. This study seeks to analyse the largest flood registered in the Segura basin, occurring on 14–15 October 1879, which attracted enormous interest on a national and international level. The methodology applied is based on the consultation of historical sources and historical cartography, and the elaboration of maps using GIS, enabling comparisons to be made with current flood zones. The results show that the Santa Teresa flood was very similar to the Spanish National Cartographic Systems for Flood Areas (SNCZI) map for a 500-year return period. Furthermore, it allows the identification of the sensitive points along the course of the river or those prone to burst banks or overflowing, which practically coincide with the current maps and modelling conducted by the official bodies. Furthermore, the buildings in the floodable area in the historical cartography have been counted and reconstructed on a GIS map and the SNCZI. Massive anthropic occupation through the construction of settlements and infrastructures (hospitals, schools, centers for the elderly, roads and railways) in the Guadalentín valley and the Segura River increases the risk of flooding in the study area, despite the numerous control and regulation works carried out in the Segura River basin.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/28floodshistorical cartographyterritorial planningSanta Teresa floodSegura basin |
| spellingShingle | Antonio Oliva Jorge Olcina Historical Floods and Territorial Planning: Lessons Learned and Opportunities Lost after the Santa Teresa Flood (1879) in the Segura Basin (Spain) Land floods historical cartography territorial planning Santa Teresa flood Segura basin |
| title | Historical Floods and Territorial Planning: Lessons Learned and Opportunities Lost after the Santa Teresa Flood (1879) in the Segura Basin (Spain) |
| title_full | Historical Floods and Territorial Planning: Lessons Learned and Opportunities Lost after the Santa Teresa Flood (1879) in the Segura Basin (Spain) |
| title_fullStr | Historical Floods and Territorial Planning: Lessons Learned and Opportunities Lost after the Santa Teresa Flood (1879) in the Segura Basin (Spain) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Historical Floods and Territorial Planning: Lessons Learned and Opportunities Lost after the Santa Teresa Flood (1879) in the Segura Basin (Spain) |
| title_short | Historical Floods and Territorial Planning: Lessons Learned and Opportunities Lost after the Santa Teresa Flood (1879) in the Segura Basin (Spain) |
| title_sort | historical floods and territorial planning lessons learned and opportunities lost after the santa teresa flood 1879 in the segura basin spain |
| topic | floods historical cartography territorial planning Santa Teresa flood Segura basin |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/28 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT antoniooliva historicalfloodsandterritorialplanninglessonslearnedandopportunitieslostafterthesantateresaflood1879inthesegurabasinspain AT jorgeolcina historicalfloodsandterritorialplanninglessonslearnedandopportunitieslostafterthesantateresaflood1879inthesegurabasinspain |