Malaga fights climate change with annual reforestation campaigns

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The city council has announced that all residents can participate in a survey that asks them to propose future actions for their neighbourhoods

Chus Heredia

Wednesday, 1 April 2026, 15:10

Severe droughts and pests have ravaged the forests of peri-urban parks in Malaga city in recent years. Pine decline has wreaked havoc, forcing drastic, costly and meticulous thinning and selective removal measures.

The results of these actions are encouraging, judging by the appearance of hills such as Gibralfaro and Victoria following the latest series of storms. In the city, strong winds have shown that the condition of the trees warrants a thorough review. Whilst in the countryside, competition between trees, slopes, sunlight exposure and insects such as the pine weevil are key factors, in the city the main issues are the narrowness of tree pits and the tarmac and asphalt surfaces that affect the roots.

With statistics and budgets in hand, the environmental sustainability department has taken these policies seriously, implementing ongoing reforestation initiatives and contracts for maintenance and forest safety in peri-urban parks.

13.4

square metres of green space per inhabitant is what Malaga city has, compared to less than eight in 2017.

Malaga is currently drafting its new green and blue infrastructure plan to adapt the city to climate change. Right now, the ratio of green space per inhabitant is 13.4 square metres. There are 110,000 trees lining the city streets.

The city council calls for residents' participation in survey

Right now, all Malaga residents can participate, via the city's website, in a survey and answer simple questions about the environmental state of their neighborhood. Most importantly, they can propose specific measures. The budget for drafting the initial document is around 125,000 euros.

The central objective of this plan is to define a strategy that will increase, improve and connect green spaces, while also integrating waterways and the sea into the city's sustainable development. According to the specifications, the plan aims to mitigate the effects of climate change by increasing tree cover in public spaces and using nature-based solutions to improve water management.

This new document will be added to the drafting of the master plan for trees, whose purpose is to generate greater vegetation cover throughout the municipality.

The initial report includes updated data on the development of green policies in the city. The aforementioned 13.4 square metres per inhabitant represents a clear increase compared to 2017, when it was 7.67 square metres

400

different vegetation species

Regarding urban trees, the city currently has an inventory of 110,000 specimens belonging to more than 400 species. In the last planting season, 1,869 trees were planted, of which 1,698 were placed on public roads and in parks and 171 in schools. Over the last six planting seasons, the total number of new trees planted is 8,101.

Intensive reforestation campaign

Beyond the city centre, the reforestation effort has shown solid results. In the last four years, the environmental department has planted 35,000 trees in forest areas and peri-urban parks. This reforestation programme, which has an annual budget of 150,000 euros, boasts a survival rate of over 90%.

In addition, the city council continues creating 'climate comfort' zones, the locations of which can be found on the municipal environment website.

According to the municipal report, these are the species with the greatest presence in the recent planting and reforestation campaigns: hibiscus, hackberry trees, sour orange trees, pink lapacho trees, flamboyant trees, cyclamen, sophora trees, pitanga trees, carob trees, almond trees, pines, wild olive trees and cypress trees.