The European LIFE FloodProof Project begins

Ceutí hosts the launch meeting of the program, which brings together nine partners—including LANDLAB—to reduce flood risk and strengthen urban resilience.

The European LIFE FloodProof project was officially launched this Wednesday with a kick-off meeting held at the Ceutí Municipal Library. This pioneering initiative aims to transform four municipalities in the Segura River Basin into “Sponge Cities” capable of managing extreme rainfall and flood events thru nature-based strategies and resilient urban planning.
The meeting coincided with the first anniversary of the severe DANA event that struck Valencia, a reminder of the growing impact of extreme weather phenomena in Spain. The session brought together representatives from the nine partner organizations, including the Mayor of Ceutí, Sonia Almela; the mayors of Alguazas, Lorquí, and Las Torres de Cotillas; and the President of the Segura River Basin Authority (CHS), demonstrating strong institutional support for the project.
Four pilot towns and a nature-based resilience model. LIFE FloodProof will be implemented in Ceutí, Alguazas, Las Torres de Cotillas, and Lorquí, all municipalities highly exposed to flood risk. The Segura River Basin recorded 28 severe flood events between 2015 and 2021, affecting more than 265,000 people—a figure expected to rise as climate change and urban soil sealing intensify.
The project will promote the transition to a more resilient urban model thru Nature-Based Solutions: increasing soil permeability, restoring green spaces, enabling sustainable stormwater management, and implementing natural drainage systems inspired by the “Sponge City” concept.
LANDLAB: a technical partner in ecological and urban resilience planning. Among the project partners is LANDLAB Laboratorio de Paisajes SLP, which brings its expertise in green infrastructure, climate adaptation, and resilient territorial design. LANDLAB’s role will support urban planning processes and the implementation of nature-based strategies in the pilot municipalities.
In addition to LANDLAB, the partners include the Ceutí City Council as the coordinating entity, the municipalities of Alguazas, Lorquí, and Las Torres de Cotillas, the Segura River Basin Authority (CHS), the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT), the Federation of Municipalities of the Region of Murcia (FMRM), and Eurovértice Consultores SL.
Community training, local action plans, and simulations. The project includes the development of Local Action Plans, four flood emergency drills, awareness campaigns, and citizen participation and governance groups. It will also produce model municipal regulations and best-practice guidelines, ensuring that knowledge and outcomes can be transferred to future basin-level planning cycles.
Local climate action and urban transformation. With LIFE FloodProof, the pilot municipalities are moving decisively toward safer, climate-adapted cities by combining technology, scientific knowledge, community engagement, and sustainable urban design. The initiative turns flood risk management into an opportunity to renaturalize public space, reduce vulnerabilities, and build a more resilient territory for the future.
More information about the project here.