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FromMartina Lippl
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Spain reports new heat records. The reservoirs are almost empty. Andalusia is now preparing the population for tough water saving measures – after the holiday season.
Seville – Last year, Spain had already experienced the hottest summer on record. It was already very dry in large parts of the country in 2022. The Spanish weather service Amet is now reporting unusual heat on the Iberian Peninsula – 38.8 degrees in the Andalusian city of Cordoba. There is also an extreme drought. Drinking water is already scarce in the south of the country. In Andalusia the situation reaches a new dimension.
Heat and drought in Spain: The first regions in Andalusia are suffering from a drinking water shortage
Rivers and reservoirs in southern Spain are now almost dry. Andalusia suffers from the lack of water. In some places, the taps have already been turned off. “In Córdoba, due to the drying up of reservoirs, there are 24 communities that are supplied with tankers,” says geographer Jesús Vargas in an interview 20minutos.es. Vargas is spokesman for the platform Ciudadano de la Sequia Observatorywhich collects data on drought and water management in Spain.
“If it doesn’t rain, the situation will be much worse,” said the expert. Even if it rains in May and in summer, there is hardly any noticeable effect. At very high temperatures, the water in the reservoirs evaporated faster, as did the crops and plants. Agriculture in the region is already suffering from the drought. Concerns about the olive harvest are great.
However, Andalusia’s Prime Minister Juanma Moreno is counting on the rain in the next few weeks costanachrichten.com reported. “Let’s hope that it rains so that we don’t have to take any painful measures,” said the head of government in an interview with the TV station Antena 3. However, if it continues to be dry, restrictions may be necessary depending on the emergency level, such as a water ban for private pools and gardens or to no longer irrigate public parks.
Lack of water in the holiday paradise of Spain? Water guarantee in Andalusia
Holidaymakers in the tourist strongholds such as Málaga and in coastal regions in Andalusia do not have to worry. For the summer, water consumption in the coastal zones is covered, Moreno emphasized at the end of April. There is a guarantee. If necessary, water is imported. Spain is preparing for a record summer in 2023. The tourism industry is optimistic. It remains to be seen whether an emergency situation can actually be avoided. If it happens, the water in Andalusia is supposed to be rationed after the summer season – in the autumn.
Water shortage in Spain: Expert criticizes the condition of the pipes
The lack of precipitation, the so-called meteorological drought, is one thing. Whether water resources are sufficient to cover bottlenecks also depends on other factors. Dilapidated water pipes are a problem, for example. According to water expert Jesús Vargas, 32 percent of urban water still seeps away because of the poor quality of the pipes. Droughts in recent years have already sensitized residents in Seville and Cádiz. Consumption has fallen to 100 liters per inhabitant per day.
Situation of the reserve hídrica de #Spainescasez y sequía al 3 de Mayo de 2023. Dates de@mitecogob@CHGuadalquivir@SAIHRedHidrosur#sequia https://t.co/9jK7Gc4uFW pic.twitter.com/7H3PT829EL
— Observatorio Sequía Andalucia (@SequiaAndalucia) May 3, 2023
Worst drought in Catalonia since 1914
Catalonia already imposed restrictions on water consumption at the end of February. Public areas and private gardens must no longer be irrigated, agriculture must reduce its water consumption by 40 percent, industry by 15 percent and the daily amount of water per inhabitant is reduced from 250 to 230 liters. Water for private pools is therefore scarce.
Experts speak of the worst drought in Catalonia since records began in 1914. The plight is largely attributed to man-made causes by researchers climate change returned.
The drought attracted tourists last summer. Catalonia’s authorities had to restrict access to the Sau reservoir north of Barcelona last summer because of the crowds wanting to see the otherwise submerged 11th-century church of Sant Romá. On the other hand, the drought in the Valdecañas reservoir, almost 200 kilometers south-west of Madrid, brought to light a mysterious structure – the “Spanish Stonehenge”. (ml)
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