## 4 Discussion
As shown by the low levels of spatial autocorrelation of the _NDVI_ analysis of the flood plates of the latest DANAs and the Horton-Strahler theoretical model inferred from that which is currently established in the administrative regulations of the study area, the territorial transformations resulting from the intense processes of anthropization during the last decades are, in those cases, behind many of the problems of flooding of this kind of Mediterranean basins [44]. One of the main characteristics of these basins at the territorial level, as observed in the case study, is their open nature with multiple natural channels and peri-urban environments in which numerous economic activities and land uses coexist (coastal tourism, agriculture, transport infrastructures, golf resorts, etc. [45]). Unlike in inland basins or mountainous orography areas, this territorial configuration severely complicates the alternative of proposing hydrological regulation by means of large hydraulic infrastructures such as dams or large linear channel structures [46; 47]. In this context, it is particularly important to know how to correctly plan the territory and make a correct diagnosis and forecast of these phenomena so as to minimize the devastating effects of these now inevitable meteorological phenomena. In this sense, a geostatistical analysis reveals itself as a very useful tool in determining the spatial behavior patterns of the effects of DANA in this territory. In cases such as the one studied here, in which the phenomenon of territorial anthropization generates dispersed effects, making it impossible to regulate floods simply through the specific development of infrastructures, it is essential to accurately diagnose the vulnerability of the territory both in its causes and in its foreseeable consequences. In light of the results obtained through the geostatistical analysis, it is evident that the transformation of the territory in the region during the last decades has had a significant impact on increasing the vulnerability of the study area to floods. This is shown by the high levels of spatial autocorrelation given in the _NDVI_ analysis of the flood plates of the latest DANA and the patterns of transformation of the territory. The loss of the natural hydrographic network of the watershed has clearly increased the vulnerability to flooding with a distinct increase in the damage caused to populations, crops, and natural areas. However, as seen in other parts of the Mediterranean coast [47], this correlation of cause-effect is not homogeneous. To begin with, the two-dimensional geostatistical analysis of the indicator of the sealed effect generated by the urbanization of the territory and of the existence of damage after the DANA shows a clear positive correlation. However, that correlation is not spatially homogeneous; there are cases in which the indicator generates very serious damage compared to others in which the damage is only very slight. We have the observed results of the indicator relating to the generation of linear communication infrastructures. In this case, despite the existence of a clear autocorrelation with the transformation patterns of the territory, the presence of damage is not systematically observed in all cases. Furthermore, it can be observed that the two-dimensional correlation levels of the LISA analysis only present positive values for medium or minor damage levels. However, this issue gives rise to new questions because, as other authors pointed out [48], the increase in vulnerability associated with the dam effect that these infrastructures develop may be masked by their transversal drainage elements that are currently working well. Therefore, we could be facing cases in which some of these infrastructures are still acting as positive damage containment elements, but in the event where more intense rainfall events are encountered, these infrastructures may collapse in their response, with potentially catastrophic consequences.