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Vol. 8 Issue 236 www.theolivepress.es November 13th - November 26th 2024
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As red alert called, green group warns of major water issue after too many homes were built on floodplains FEARS are growing that over-construction on floodplains could lead to a Valencia-style flooding disaster on the Costa del Sol. As an unprecedented red alert has been issued for parts of Malaga, while the Campo de Gibraltar is under a yellow alert for Thursday, residents are being warned to avoid unnecessary journeys – and those living in flood risk zones are urged to take extra precautions. It comes after four out of 14 key flood risk zones in Spain were announced as being in Andalucia. One of the main areas of concern is Fuengirola, where the town hall admitted to the Olive Press it is undertaking a review of its flood protocols. Ecologists in Action warned both the Las Lagunas and the Camino Viejo de Coin areas are vulnerable to severe levels of flooding should the Fuengirola river overflow. The green group claims its floodplain has been too heavily built upon since the 1980s – often in direct violation of urban planning regulations and risk studies. It insists any new projects - including a nursing home, a hospital and a huge park called Gran Parque de la Costa del Sol - in the area would be a ‘very serious mistake.’ “The catastrophe in Valencia should give pause for reflection for town halls and any parties that insist on building in vulnerable territory,” explained a spokesman. “Despite the multiple declarations of a climate emergency, politicians continue to act as if there were no real emergency and it can be business as usual. “It means exposing more and
By Walter Finch & Laurence Dollimore
more people to the same possible catastrophic event as we have seen in Valencia, given the enormous vulnerability of the Fuengirola river.” The region has been hit by disastrous floods before, with up to 14 people killed in Fuengirola as recently as 1988. A mother and three children only managed to miraculously survive the disaster by clinging to a tree. The new claims by Ecologists in Action come after researchers revealed that a third of homes flooded in Valencia were built on land at risk of flooding during the housing bubble. A spokesperson for Fuengirola town hall insisted the claims were being taken seriously. He said the council was currently preparing a ‘Climate Change Adaptation Plan’. “This will analyse the entire municipal area and identify any risks and vulnerabilities,” he said. “The conclusions are not yet known, as it is still in the drafting phase.” He insisted a proposed hospital and nursing home are now ‘no longer’ going to be built.
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MANCHESTER City and Spain footballer Rodri has said his English teammates ‘didn’t even know what Gibraltar is.’ Rodri, who recently won the coveted Ballon d’Or, led the chants of Gibraltar español during his country’s Euro 2024 celebrations in Madrid’s at the Plaza de Cibeles on July 21. In his first interview since winning the award, he was quizzed about how he was received when he returned to Manchester. “Your chants of Gibraltar español, didn’t the English find it shocking?” asked TV presenter Juanma Castaño. Rodri responded: “They didn’t even know where Gibraltar is!” “I asked them if they had heard about [the controversy],” the Premier League star explained. “And they said, ‘Gibraltar, what is that?’” He added: “Imagine what would have been awaiting me in the dressing room in England if the English had won the final. Put yourself in that perspective.” Rodri plays with some of England’s best-known talents at Manchester City, including Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and John Stones – who apparently have little knowledge of geography. The midfielder was handed a one match ban by UEFA for leading the ‘political’ song.
GIBRALTAR honoured fallen soldiers this Remembrance Sunday. Lieutenant General Sir Ben Bathurst, the King’s representative in Gibraltar led the ceremony held at the Line Wall Road British War Memorial. After the two minute silence, wreaths were laid, including one by Chief Minister Fabian Picardo. He said: “Remembrance Sunday is a massively important recognition of the loss of lives in service, which we must never allow to fade. “We will remember them.” Minister Gemma Arias-Vasquez was in London to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph on behalf of the people of Gibraltar.
ALORA AGONY: Over 30 cars were swept away by the Guadalhorce river while homeowners escape to safety. (Above) A map of Fuengirola’s danger zones
And he added that corrective measures have already been put in place, including the widening of
the riverbed to prevent flooding. “There have not been any overflows in recent years,” he insisted.
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Inside the colourful world of the mayor of Estepona See page 8 2/4/24 11:56
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