Influencia antrópica en la avenida de 1997 en el río Rivillas (Badajoz). Cambios de usos e impacto geomórfico

The Rivillas Stream, a tributary of the Guadiana River, is a small, seasonal watercourse that sporadically floods. The flooding that occurred on the 5th November 1977 was catastrophic; 22 deaths were recorded in the river’s basin plus another 15 in neighbouring basins. The intense transformation of the basin through agriculture and construction near the city of Badajoz have led to this river system becoming very unstable. This is equally true of its floodplain, its main course, its affluents, the slopes around the basin, and the remainder of the basin. The geomorphic impact of these changes only became noticeable when the flash-flood occurred due to intense rainfall, highlighting the important negative effects of human activity in such sensitive environments.