Girona · 49.689 inhabitants · 5.053 buildings analysed one by one

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

We have scored the climate risk of the 5.053 buildings in Figueres using Cadastre data, satellite imagery and climate projections, and added it up by area, street and watercourse. The clearest change comes at night: from 27 to 64 tropical nights a year by 2050.

27→64tropical nights a year in a typical building, today and by 2050
32%of homes at high or very high heat risk by 2050
1.666homes 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

Figueres compared with Spain

  • Tropical nights a year, 2050: 77 nights
    higher than 92 % of municipalities
  • Average summer maximum, 2050: 32,3 °C
    lower than 52 % of municipalities
  • Flood-prone area (100-year): 25,9%
    higher than 97 % of municipalities
  • Area burnt 2016-2026: 0,0%
    lower than 64 % of municipalities
  • Water stress 2050 (0-5): 3,1
    lower 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 Figueres

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

1

1.666 homes in a flood zone

1.666 homes

They are in the area that can flood once every 500 years according to the official maps (SNCZI); 964 of them are in the 100-year area. Next to Riera de Galligants, 40 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 27 to 64 tropical nights a year

27→64 nights

In a typical building in Figueres, nights when the temperature stays at or above 20 °C would rise from 27 a year (1991-2020) to about 64 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

4 schools, care homes or health centres in a flood zone

4 facilities

They are in the official 500-year flood zone or in a preferential flow zone. They are the first to review in an emergency plan: who is inside, how to get out and whether they use the ground floor.

  • School: Centre Tècnic d'Automoció
  • School: Escola Anicet de Pagès i de Puig
  • School: Escola Maria Àngels Anglada
  • School: Institut Narcís Monturiol

OpenStreetMap location matched to the nearest Cadastre building.

4

Where there are fewer trees, 2,1 °C hotter

2,1 °C

Around homes with less than 2 % tree cover, the surface in summer is 0,7 °C above the median for Figueres; with between 20 and 40 % tree cover, 1,4 °C below. 3.026 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.

5

63 in every 100 buildings were built before 1980

63 %

They were built before the first thermal insulation standard (1979). With 64 tropical nights a year by 2050, they will hold the most heat at night and have the most to gain from a retrofit.

Year of construction from the Cadastre.

Six hazards

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

The 20.376 homes in Figueres 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 1 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.
  • Emergency self-protection plans in the schools, care homes and health centres that are in a flood zone.
  • 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.
  • 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