> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://barna.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Half of Barcelona's Flood-Prone Population in Besòs Basin - URL: https://barna.news/half-of-barcelona-s-flood-prone/ - Published: 2026-10-15T19:45:49.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-15T19:45:49.000Z - Description: A UAB study reveals that 79,867 people in the Besòs river basin are at high risk of extreme flooding, with overlapping economic vulnerability. - Author: Barna.News - Tags: environment, Catalonia ## 79,867 Residents at Risk in Besòs Basin Nearly half of the population exposed to extreme flooding in the Barcelona metropolitan area lives in the Besòs river basin, according to research by the Institut de Govern i Polítiques Públiques (IGOP) at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). The study identifies 79,867 people across Barcelona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Sant Adrià de Besòs, and Montcada i Reixac as living in buildings vulnerable to severe flooding, out of a total of 167,547 at-risk residents in the wider metropolitan area. The findings highlight a pattern of disproportionate exposure, with low-income communities concentrated in flood-prone zones along the riverbanks. --- ## Double Vulnerability: Flood Risk and Poverty In the Besòs basin, 23.9% of those exposed to flooding are also at risk of poverty, seven percentage points above the metropolitan average. This convergence creates a "double vulnerability: climatic and economic", according to Marc Parés, IGOP researcher and project lead. Neighbourhoods identified as most at risk include Vallbona, Trinitat Vella, Baró de Viver, el Bon Pastor, el Besòs, and la Mina in Barcelona; Can Sant Joan, La Ribera, and Montcada Centre in Montcada i Reixac; Riu Nord, Riu Sud, Safaretjos, and el Raval in Santa Coloma de Gramenet; and Sant Adrià Nord, Sant Joan Baptista, and La Catalana in Sant Adrià de Besòs. > "Families with fewer resources are less prepared to face a flash flood and have greater difficulty protecting homes, getting insurance, or relying on a support network during emergencies," said Marc Parés. The study draws parallels with the 2024 DANA disaster in Valencia, where flood-affected areas also showed higher-than-average poverty rates. In the Valencian metropolitan area, 23.04% of those affected by flooding were at risk of poverty, compared to a regional average of 21.09%. --- ## Recent Near-Overflows Raise Alarm On Saturday 4 October 2026, the Besòs River reached a flow rate of 936 cubic metres per second, the highest in decades, prompting Protecció Civil to issue an ES-Alert. Residents in lower-lying areas of Santa Coloma de Gramenet and Sant Adrià de Besòs were advised to move to upper floors of their buildings as a precaution. The river did not breach its banks, but the incident underscored the real and present danger to communities downstream. Researchers stress that recovery from such events depends heavily on socioeconomic status, including access to savings, insurance, stable housing, and support networks. ### Call for Targeted Climate Adaptation The IGOP-UAB team, whose work is still in development, released the data early due to the urgency of the climate crisis. Using flood risk maps from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, combined with 2023 census data and the INE's Atlas of Household Income Distribution, the researchers mapped exposure down to individual buildings via cadastral geometry. Andrei Lucian Turlea, another researcher on the project, warned: "What we are seeing these days in the Besòs is not an exception. This new normal is not the same for everyone." Experts are calling on local and regional administrations to prioritise investment in climate adaptation for the most vulnerable neighbourhoods, including targeted infrastructure upgrades and emergency preparedness plans tailored to socioeconomic realities. --- *Reported by ddd.uab.cat, beteve.cat, Barna.News, efe.com, El Periódico Barcelona.* --- ### Related on Barna.News - [Sant Adrià Bridge Debris Raises Flood Risk](https://barna.news/sant-adria-bridge-debris-raises-flood/) - [La Floresta Residents Demand Better Flood Prevention](https://barna.news/la-floresta-residents-demand-better/) - [Mushroom Picking Near Barcelona Could Lead to Fines](https://barna.news/mushroom-picking-near-barcelona-could/) - [Besòs River Park Reopens Partially After Flood](https://barna.news/besos-river-park-reopens-partially/)