Barcelona City

What made Barcelona City successful in preventing floods?

After the great flood of 1996, the city proposed a plan that entails the construction of 15 rainwater retention basins along with the improvement of the entire flood prevention and management system. 

This is an image of one of the rainwater retention tanks that is located in Barcelona City. Throughout the years, the Barcelona City Council raised the number of retention tanks to be built. Thus, they came up with a project that entails the construction of 33 underground water-retention tanks with a total capacity of 1,168,900 m3. These retention tanks have 18 water gates which are controlled by a remote control station. 

Effects: 

• These tanks have prevented more than 940 tons of suspended matters(fine debris) from joining the sea. 

• Saved 3.7 million m3 of rainwater from flowing into the sea annually.

• Made Barcelona a "robust flood-resistant city".