Alex Trelinski
OVER a quarter of the Valencian government’s 2023 budget allocated to the Vega Baja region will be spent on stopping a repeat of the disastrous floods over three years ago.
€42.9 million has been allocated for prevention work within the Vega Renhace plan, unveiled by Valencia president, Ximo Puig, in the wake of the September 2019 floods.
The draft 2023 regional government budget talks of a funding rise and setting up priority projects to make the Vega Baja a ‘better-prepared area for future floods’.
Ten specific areas have been outlined for money to be spent on flood prevention.
Key budget lines include €16 million for infrastructure; €15.9 million to cut flood risks in urban centres; and €10 million for ecological recovery and resilience.
The remaining money will be used to improve rainwater draining and storm tanks.
Vega Renhace manager, Antonio Alonso, said: “No matter how much money comes in, it still doesn’t seem enough due to the lack of investment years ago.”
Since the September 2019 floods, projects and investments totalling €97.1 million have been executed- of which €70.5 million was allocated to emergency and repair work.
READ MORE:
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