Teaching Floods in the Context of Climate Change with the Use of Official Cartographic Viewers (Spain)

Abstract

Floods are the natural hazard that have the greatest economic impact and cause the most deaths in the Mediterranean region. The objective of this study is to present different proposals for teach the risk of flooding using the GIS viewers offered by the NFZMS (National Flood Zone Mapping System) and the PATRICOVA (Spain). The idea is that, based on the selection of the same area of study (the mouth of the Júcar River—Valencia—and the mouth of the Segura River—Alicante), students determine the similarities and differences, for educational purposes, of these two geographical viewers. These proposals are aimed at the 2nd year of the Baccalaureate (17–18 years; optional subject of Geography). The objective is to enhance the skills of the students for understand the territory, especially their immediate environment, in the learning process. Furthermore, it also seeks to expand the knowledge of students with regard to these extreme phenomena experienced by society. This proposal shows that these types of tools are important for students to understand the social and territorial part of flooding events (vulnerability and exposure), which is the most salient part in terms of finding solutions to minimise their effects.