Catalonia will install three new radars in the Pyrenees to monitor campsites in flood-prone areas.

BarcelonaThe Generalitat (Catalan Government) has decided to install three new weather radars in the Alt Pyrenees to anticipate, in advance, potential flooding at campsites in this area. This is one of the main measures outlined in the new decree law that the Government is expected to approve this Tuesday. It aims to assess the flood risk of each campsite and the measures they must take to ensure protection in the event of bad weather or flash floods.

The Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, and the president of the Federation of Campsites of Catalonia, Miguel Gotanegra, presented the agreement this Monday and emphasized that it is a "consensus" document. Thus, once the decree passes through Parliament, the Interior Ministry will allocate €6 million to these radars, which will begin to be installed next year. After analyzing 40 possible locations, the devices will be located in La Peülla, near Bonaigua; on the Orri peak in Pallars Sobirà; and in Tossa de Alp in Cerdanya. These radars—which join the four already in operation in Tivissa (Ribera d'Ebre), Vallirana (Baix Llobregat), Panadella (Anoia), and Puig d'Arques (Baix Empordà)—will not only be used for campsites but also for all areas of the mountain regions. These high-tech devices will improve accuracy by 90% with regard to rain and snow.

Outdated data

The Generalitat (Catalan regional government) will also begin a comprehensive, campsite-by-campsite survey of the hazards present at each facility and the measures these resorts must take to adapt and ensure the safety of campers. Financial aid is also planned for the sector to implement improvements. The assessment will begin with the 16 campsites located in areas already identified as flood-prone, but Parlon has been at pains to emphasize that "there are no blacklists." "This is not a decree to close campsites, but rather to ensure the best risk management," she clarified.

Once the review is complete, the experts will determine whether the campsite examined needs changes, such as changing some camping areas or moving bungalows to safer areas, investing in early warning systems, or whether an evacuation protocol is necessary. "Not all campsites are in the same situation; we have to go case by case," the regional minister explained.

The new decree replaces the one that had to be withdrawn a few months ago, in March., which even admitted the possibility of closing some campsites. In this regard, Gotanegra lamented that following the DANA (Flood Flood) in the Valencian Community ten months ago, some campsites were "unfairly targeted" and asserted that the sector has been trying to improve its safety "for years." "We're starting from scratch and with new technology because the information we have now [on campsite facilities] is completely outdated." A few months ago, it was estimated that of the nearly 400 Catalan campsites, about fifteen, mostly in the Pyrenees, were at high risk of flooding, and another hundred were at medium risk.