Evolution of the territory and analysis of flooding and water erosion between 1956 and 2010: case study in the province of Malaga (Spain)

In the current context of Global Change, the analysis of socio-natural risks has become a priority issue for administrations. This paper quantifies the evolution of flooding and potential soil erosion in four representative areas of the Spanish Mediterranean coast, located in the province of Malaga (Spain). This is related to the evolution of the territory in the study areas in the last 50 years. Flooding has been calculated by means of a hydrological-hydraulic study and HEC- RAS, and the potential soil erosion using the revised formulation of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). The results show territorially unsustainable urban changes and direct repercussions on floods and loss of soil, with increases that in some cases double, or even quadruple, the values of flooding and lost soil in 1957.