The Spanish government has approved a €35.7 million project to strengthen flood defences in Los Alcázares and protect the Mar Menor. The Council of Ministers authorised the tender for the main works following a proposal from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

The project focuses on the La Maraña watercourse, which has repeatedly channelled mud and floodwater into the Mar Menor during heavy rain. The first phase, with a budget of more than €17 million, will redevelop 1,250 metres of the urban stretch into an open channel.

This section will become a green corridor with cycle lanes and new vegetation. The redesign of Avenida Muñoz Zambudio will also include changes to traffic management in the surrounding area.

The wider scheme includes the creation of a floodable park at the head of the watercourse. Officials say the measures will reduce flood risk in the town centre while limiting the flow of sediment into the Mar Menor during extreme weather.