Benidorm gets 3 million from Next Generation funds for its green macro-project that will result in adaptation to climate change

Benidorm City Council has obtained 3 million euros from Next Generation funds to develop a sustainability macro-project that will result in adaptation to climate change: 'Green and Water: Rooting Benidorm in its Natural Environment'. This was announced today by the mayor, Toni Pérez, who has indicated that this macro-project, in which the Societat Valenciana d'Ornitologia also participates, "includes more than 15 actions to increase green surfaces, protect the entire forest mass, permeate the edge urban area with orchard and crop areas”. In short, "a renaturation project to continue making Benidorm a more resilient city against the effects of climate change."

Toni Pérez explained that "according to the resolution of the call transferred by the Ministry, the one from Benidorm is one of the 19 proposals selected at the national level from among the 64 presented."

When selecting the renaturation projects that will receive Next Generation funds, "the quality of the proposals" has been assessed, as well as "the most coherent requests in terms of their actions and expected results, their integration into public plans and strategies, its innovation and the expected impact to achieve a true transformation that lasts over time”.

The mayor remarked that "once again we are talking about a call under a competitive competition regime in which Benidorm has participated with a very powerful and worked project, transversal, innovative, ambitious and realistic, which has allowed it to prevail over many other cities and destinations in Spain that also opted for these funds”. “It is a great project and that is how the Biodiversity Foundation has endorsed it, betting on it”, he specified.

The 'Green and Water: Rooting of Benidorm in its Natural Environment' project proposes "measures that make it possible to advance in the consequence of objectives set in municipal sectoral plans such as the Action Plan against Climate Change and the Action Plan for Climate and Sustainable Energy, among others; focused plans, like this project, to leave future generations an even better, greener, more sustainable and more resilient Benidorm”.

The project is quantified at 3.8 million euros, with the City Council assuming the remaining amount. According to the terms of the call, the actions must be completed by December 31, 2025.

Planned actions

Specifically, the actions included in this macro-project guarantee the preservation of the current natural spaces, especially the forest masses; improve soil permeability; create new green areas in the urban area; increase the number of trees in the streets and parks of Benidorm; and raise public awareness about climate change. In short, “transforming the city, always pursuing maximum sustainability”.

Among these actions is connecting the large peri-urban parks and green spaces such as El Moralet or Séquia Mare through green corridors, thus generating a large Green Belt; and to permeate the urban edge with the orchard and crop areas with hiking circuits.

It is also proposed to create micro-parks with trees with a climate control function; increase the number of trees in the streets that have them; and plant green roofs on municipal buildings. The project also includes creating a vertical garden in the City Hall so that the schoolyards gain in vegetation, as well as the social centers and other public buildings.

One of the major investments is linked to increasing the use of reclaimed water for irrigation of public green areas, but also for it to reach residential areas and private properties. In addition, it is intended to install fixed towers and reclaimed water intakes in the forest masses, which will be complemented by an automated fire detection network.
In addition, it is planned to create an oasis-shelter on a municipal site to house tree species with value but without a climate control function, for their subsequent transplantation in the areas of the city that are considered.