Farmers Demand Guardamar Breakwater Removal

Farmers successful nan Vega Baja region of Alicante are urging nan Spanish authorities to demolish nan arguable Guardamar breakwater (espigón) connected nan Segura River, claiming that nan building importantly increases nan consequence of flooding during dense rainfall events. The telephone comes arsenic nan region continues to look recurring threats from torrential rainfall, akin to nan devastating DANA storms of 2019.

The Association of Young Farmers (ASAJA) Alicante has highlighted that nan breakwater, built betwixt 1990 and 1994, acts arsenic a “plug” astatine nan river’s mouth, preventing nan earthy travel of sediments into nan Mediterranean Sea. Over time, this has led to sediment accumulation successful nan aged riverbed, reducing nan river’s capacity to evacuate h2o and heightening nan likelihood of overflow into surrounding towns and farmland, including Guardamar, San Fulgencio, Dolores, Almoradí, and Rojales. ASAJA points retired that though plans are successful spot to dredge nan aged riverbed starting successful October, removing tonnes of accumulated silt, nan existent predisposition of nan breakwater would not lick nan underlying problem. According to nan organisation, nan structure’s curve directs h2o travel inefficiently compared to nan earthy gradient of nan Mediterranean coastline, leaving communities susceptible to flash floods.

The relation besides cited a method study from CEDEX successful 1987, which warned of imaginable flood risks associated pinch nan breakwater’s design. Despite this, nan building proceeded without important modification, and ASAJA maintains that urgent action is required to forestall repetition disasters. Their connection calls for nan authorities to set aliases demolish nan confederate breakwater, allowing h2o to flight much freely during storms.

In summation to nan breakwater’s creation flaws, ASAJA has highlighted nan deteriorating information of nan aged riverbed. It is reportedly clogged pinch silt and overgrown pinch invasive reeds, further obstructing h2o flow. The relation argues that without structural intervention, dredging unsocial will beryllium insufficient to protect nan Vega Baja from early flooding events. Local farmers emphasise that nan risks are not constricted to municipality areas. Floodwaters tin devastate cultivation land, destruct crops, and disrupt livelihoods, which is peculiarly concerning successful a region heavy reliant connected farming. By advocating for structural reforms to nan breakwater, ASAJA hopes to safeguard some quality life and economical stableness successful nan Vega Baja.

The statement complete nan Guardamar breakwater reflects broader challenges successful Spanish flood management, wherever ageing infrastructure, sedimentation, and ambiance change-driven utmost upwind events intersect. Engineers, section authorities, and biology organisations person agelong debated whether modifications to specified coastal and riverine structures are feasible and effective, balancing flood prevention pinch maritime and biology considerations. ASAJA’s run has attracted location attention, pinch section media covering nan rumor and urging swift authorities action. The relation insists that without decisive structural solutions, nan Vega Baja remains exposed to avoidable flooding risks that could frighten communities and agriculture alike.

With autumn rains approaching, residents and farmers are intimately monitoring nan Segura River, hoping that authorities will instrumentality measures that not only dredge nan stream but besides reside nan guidelines origin of sediment blockage astatine Guardamar. For ASAJA, demolition aliases redesign of nan breakwater represents nan only genuinely sustainable solution to unafraid nan information of nan Vega Baja for nan agelong term.