The new environmental commissioner, the Swedish Jessika Roswall, has warned that 74% of the Spanish territory “is at risk of desertification” if water resources are not administered well and has encouraged all European governments to protect their aquifers, especially to The countries of the South, where water scarcity tends to be more pressing.
“Today in Spain, 74 % of the territory is at risk of desertification,” he said at a press conference in his first major appearance as responsible for that portfolio to present a series of reports related to water use and care throughout the EU. «Our waters face important challenges, from pollution and threats to the supply to the insufficient preparation for floods. We must intensify our efforts to create water resilience. A clean and reliable water supply is essential for citizens, for our environment and for companies to prosper. Since more than three quarters of Europeans support EU measures to address water problems, we have a clear mandate to act ». Among other things, a comprehensive strategy of water resilience has committed this year.
According to the curator, all countries currently have important challenges while “the cost of doing nothing is too high and the situation would get worse.” In his opinion, Spain must invest more in nature -based solutions and improve transparency and coordination of its interactions with France and Portugal.
In general, at the time of complying with the Water Framework Directive, the Flood Directive and the Marco Directive on the Marine Strategy, the Commission confirms that there are progress in all countries, without forgetting the necessary work to improve the quality of the surface waters and flood risks.
In fact, around 40% of the EU surface waters reach a good ecological state, and only 27% can be said that they have good chemical condition, that is, they do not have heavy metal contamination and other toxic. In this field, Spain is one of the outstanding students and it is expected that within two years 98% of the water can be considered in good ecological condition and in good chemical condition.
However, although if the entire peninsula is considered, the resources are practically at the low overexploitation limit, in certain regions such as the Guadalquivir, Júcar and safe basin, levels are reached well above the limits that mark the risk of exhausting the aquifers
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