Almería · 33.319 inhabitants · 13.749 buildings analysed one by one

NíjarClimate risk in its neighbourhoods, streets and rivers, today and in 2050

We have scored the climate risk of the 13.749 buildings in Níjar using Cadastre data, satellite imagery and climate projections, and added it up by area, street and watercourse. The clearest change comes at night: from 71 to 104 tropical nights a year by 2050.

71→104tropical nights a year in a typical building, today and by 2050
37%of homes at high or very high heat risk by 2050
911homes in the official flood zone (500 years)
At a glance

Where the risk lies by 2050

LowMediumHighVery highRivers and streams

Level of the highest hazard in each 250 m area by 2050: flooding, heat, wildfire, wind or ground movement.

Tropical nights a year in a typical building

Níjar compared with Spain

  • Tropical nights a year, 2050: 115 nights
    higher than 98 % of municipalities
  • Average summer maximum, 2050: 32,1 °C
    lower than 55 % of municipalities
  • Flood-prone area (100-year): 0,3%
    lower than 53 % of municipalities
  • Area burnt 2016-2026: 2,7%
    higher than 88 % of municipalities
  • Water stress 2050 (0-5): 5,0
    higher than 82 % of municipalities

Position among the 8.217 municipalities: further right means more risk. These are figures for the municipality as a whole, the same for everyone; they may differ from those for the typical building. Compare with others →

What stands out

What we found in Níjar

It comes from matching each building with its neighbourhood, its street, the nearest watercourse and its surroundings.

1

911 homes in a flood zone

911 homes

They are in the area that can flood once every 500 years according to the official maps (SNCZI); 933 of them are in the 100-year area. Next to Barranco del Cuchillo, 23 homes are inside the flood zone, less than 100 m from the watercourse.

According to the Ministry’s studies, this is an annual probability of 0,2 % (500 years) or 1 % (100 years), not “once every 500 years”: it can happen two years in a row. Small gullies are not always mapped.

2

From 71 to 104 tropical nights a year

71→104 nights

In a typical building in Níjar, nights when the temperature stays at or above 20 °C would rise from 71 a year (1991-2020) to about 104 by 2050. For this reason, 100 % of homes would be at a high or very high level.

Median of the buildings. Intermediate-to-high emissions scenario (SSP3-7.0).

3

Where there are fewer trees, 3,4 °C hotter

3,4 °C

Around homes with less than 2 % tree cover, the surface in summer is 0,6 °C above the median for Níjar; with between 20 and 40 % tree cover, 2,8 °C below. 5.908 homes are in surroundings with almost no trees.

Ground surface temperature (Landsat), not air temperature. More trees usually go with less asphalt and lower density: this is a correlation, not a measure of the effect of planting trees.

4

389 homes at very high wildfire risk

358 buildings

These are 358 buildings right next to vegetation that can burn. Of these, one is a block of flats with 41 homes, where evacuation is harder.

  • Camino Cala Higuera: 41

Proximity to woodland and to burnt areas (ESA WorldCover, EFFIS). It does not measure the state of the vegetation or any firebreaks.

5

131 homes less than 2 m above sea level

131 homes

That is 1 % of homes. The extreme sea level in a 100-year storm reaches 0,97 m today and 1,28 m by 2050.

Ground elevation at the building (IGN digital terrain model). Being low-lying does not mean it will flood: that depends on the beach, sea defences and drainage.

Six hazards

How many homes are at high risk, today and in 2050

The 13.253 homes in Níjar by the level of their building. Tap a hazard to see it on the map.

LowMediumHighVery high
What can be done

For the town council and for residents

For the town council and its technical staff

  • Climate shelters, and late-afternoon and evening opening hours at libraries and community centres in the areas with the most tropical nights.
  • Shade and trees in the playgrounds of the 7 schools with the hottest surroundings.
  • Review with the river basin authority the watercourses with no official mapping that run next to homes, and keep them clear.
  • Firebreaks and evacuation routes in the streets that border woodland.
  • Download the tables by area, neighbourhood, street and watercourse (Data tab) to cross-check them with urban planning.

For residents

  • Air your home in the early hours, shade west-facing walls from the sun and ask about grants to insulate the roof.
  • If you live on a ground floor or have a garage next to a watercourse, have a plan: where to go upstairs, what to switch off and how to hear about warnings.
  • Keep the strip around your house clear of dry vegetation and know both ways out of your street.
  • Look up your building: the free report gives its level for each hazard, and the Climate Note gives the full detail.

Look up your building