Beyond its historic sites and sunny beaches, the city of Málaga in Spain is transforming its parched riverbeds into resilient, biodiverse corridors.
Málaga shows how cities can bring together nature restoration, better governance, and new planning tools by transforming the Guadalmedina River corridor.
This flagship urban biodiversity project has turned a flood channel into a green space that serves multiple purposes for the city and its residents.
River of the city
Guadalmedina (“river of the city” in Arabic) is a dry river, often called an ephemeral or intermittent river. It is a river channel that does not carry water year-round. Instead, flow occurs only after rainfall or seasonal runoffs, while the riverbed remains dry for long periods.
Following the catastrophic flood of 1907, the city built river defence walls in 1911, when the Guadalmedina’s urban stretch was first channelised in a layout broadly comparable to its present form.
Some years later, in 1917, the Agujero reservoir was completed to reduce peak flows and improve urban safety. The channel was further consolidated by interventions, while the hydraulic protection system was reinforced by the construction of the Limonero dam, completed in 1983.
These structures were built primarily to protect Málaga from floods. In recent years, however, the city has made an effort to connect them to the water supply network, allowing the stored water to be used during periods of extreme drought.
Dry rivers are not dead spaces
The fact that the riverbed remained dry for extended periods became a problem for the city. People left their waste there, which eventually made the riverbed an unsightly urban scar.
Yet dry riverbeds also present opportunities. When properly restored, they can support adapted vegetation, soil biodiversity and seasonal wildlife. Such projects can create multifunctional landscapes that combine flood safety, urban cooling, habitat restoration, and public space.
The Guadalmedina project focuses on creating a hybrid landscape that balances safety with ecological function.
The objective was not historical restoration, but forward-looking urban nature: a space that cools the city, supports species, and reconnects citizens to water.
School visits, surveys and BIOBLITZ events have documented the return of species while building local ownership. The space has become a place for local recreation, and the change was also recognised by the neighbourhood.
Shared governance, shared responsibility
In Málaga, the river is governed by three overlapping administrative responsibilities:
- Regional Government: Flood protection authorities are responsible for hydraulic safety and stormwater control.
- Local Government: Municipal urban authorities are responsible for public space, accessibility, and urban design.
- Local Government: Environmental restoration authorities are responsible for biodiversity, monitoring, and awareness.
This multi-layer governance model requires constant coordination. It also illustrates how urban biodiversity projects are never purely ecological; they sit at the intersection of infrastructure, planning, and environmental policy. And they require local support and ownership.
Different segments of the river fall under the responsibility of the city/municipality, region, and national levels. The restoration has proceeded upstream to mid-city. However, the core city-to-sea areas remain unrestored and are clearly visible on satellite imagery – showing that there is still a way to go.
A living laboratory for urban biodiversity
In February 2026, CircHive city partners visited Málaga to examine the restoration of the Guadalmedina river corridor.
The visit was part of the CircHive Cities Hub workshop, linking restoration practice with ecosystem modelling, practical application of nature-based solutions, and citizen engagement. The city is an example of how urban rivers can evolve into climate-adaptive, socially embedded ecological corridors.
If you have an example from your city and would like to share, join CircHive’s BEEHive, a community where businesses, researchers, and policymakers can exchange the latest thinking on biodiversity footprinting and natural capital accounting.