More than half of the municipalities in Alicante province still do not have an approved Municipal Action Plan for Flood Risk, known as the PAM IN, almost a year and a half after the devastating DANA in Valencia. Of the 141 municipalities in the province, only 68 currently have this key document in place.

Sixty-seven municipalities are legally required to have a flood plan because they face medium or high flood risk. Of those, 62 have now been approved, leaving five significant towns without a plan in force: Torrevieja, Villena, El Campello, Aspe and Monóvar. Together, they have a population of more than 200,000 people.

The Valencian Agency for Security and Emergency Response says the situation has improved in recent months, following the approval of new plans in places such as Elche, Ondara and La Nucia. However, experts warn that all municipalities should have flood plans, regardless of their assessed risk, particularly as climate change increases the intensity of Mediterranean rainfall.

Local councils in the remaining five towns say their plans are in the final stages, after incorporating improvements requested by the regional government. Several expect approval by their local councils and formal validation by the Generalitat in the coming weeks or months.