Government concerned over 16 campsites in flood-prone areas

Catalonia has 396 campsites, yet the government is closely monitoring 16 of them due to high flood risks. While most of these campsites are located in the Pyrenees, a few are situated along the Mediterranean coast.

These campgrounds have more than 50% of their grounds in flood-prone areas, and authorities plan to assess each location individually, taking any "necessary" safety measures, as government spokesperson Sílvia Paneque said after the weekly cabinet meeting.

These 16 sites make up 4% of Catalonia's campgrounds, and the government will prioritize decisions to ensure public safety.

The announcement came a day after president Salvador Illa said some campsites worried the government.

"If we need to take any decision, we will. Let's decide on common sense, and we need to learn from what just happened," Illa said in an interview with Catalunya Ràdio radio station on Monday.

"If any activities do not ensure people's safety, decisions will have to be made," he added.

Asked about Illa's comments on Tuesday, Paneque ensured that "under current circumstances, it would be unreasonable for the Catalan government nor the camping industry not to take the required measures to ensure people's safety."

Earlier in the morning, the Catalan Campsites Federation met with the business minister, Miquel Sàmper, with room for collaboration.

Campground owners are calling for ways to "create trust and look out for solutions," Miquel Gotanegra, president of the federation, said in an interview with Catalunya Ràdio.

During the meeting between Sàmper and Gotanegra, the latter asked to update the industry scheme on floods in a "very productive" meeting.

"There has been a will to look for solutions to the problem," Gotanegra said.

However, Gotanegra warned that some of the messages shared are "exaggerated" as, in some cases, the risk is very low, and the government's reports are "obsolete, creating an "unnecessary alarmism," as they have campsites listed as open and have now been closed for years, or others which have a different reality after carrying construction works."

The federation is also requesting a meeting with president Illa to discuss further solutions.