Historic drought hits Spain

Although it is not as strong and devastating a disaster as the fire in Hawaii or Hurricane Freddy, the drought in Spain marks the driest year in history and has already cost around 2,400 million euros. This kind of economic indicator helps us all to collectively understand the consequences of climate change and to put them in a realistic context, even though we may not be directly affected by the mentioned disaster.

The ongoing Spanish drought that started in 2023, according to these economic indicators, placed it among the 10 disasters that caused the most material damage in the whole world, according to an analysis issued by the Christian Aid organization.

The regions of Andalusia and Catalonia are particularly affected. In these regions the regular reports on the state of water reserves are being issued and state that they have fallen below 10% in some areas. Public fountains have not been working for months, and the use of drinking water for washing cars, maintaining golf courses, filling swimming pools, watering gardens for decorative purposes, etc. is prohibited.

Catalonia has in the meantime launched a campaign to save water with the slogan "water does not fall from the sky" with maps of alarming levels of water reserves, posted in public areas:

Stupanj pogođenosti sušom u Kataloniji prema općinama.
Izvor: https://as.com/actualidad/sociedad/asi-queda-el-mapa-de-la-sequia-en-cataluna-tras-la-emergencia-en-ter-llobregat-n/

The message of the campaign is clear and alarming: we no longer count on water from the sky. Behind this message the officials are essentially communicating the solution: Catalonia has been granted funds to build two large desalination plants along the coast, an investment worth almost 500 million euros.

In the meantime, in the south, in Andalusia, great efforts are invested in trying to reduce personal consumption, where the results of saving around 20% are already visible. Nevertheless, at the beginning of this year, measuring devices for water consumption are being installed in main places of gathering and frequency such as airports, shopping centers, hotels, sports fields, ports, etc.

Water needs you as much as you need it - a campaign with tips for the responsible use of water in Andalusia; elaguatenecesita.com

The consequences are so far huge for the economy, especially since Spain is one of the largest European food producers. Just as an example, olive oil rose in price three times in Spain due to a poor harvest.

The drought in Spain encouraged a broader global understanding of this phenomenon. In this context, some of the experts' predictions point to an alarming announcement: from 2030, the European continent could face a "mega-drought" that could last up to 5 years.

Sources:

https://www.elespanol.com/malaga/malaga-ciudad/20240125/malaga-controlara-gasto-agua-grandes-consumidores-aeropuerto-industrias-centros-comerciales/827667326_0.html

https://www.elespanol.com/malaga/20240201/medidas-ahorrar-agua-municipios-malaga-cortes-presion-obras-urgencia/829167185_0.html

https://www.eldiario.es/sociedad/sequia-espana-10-desastres-climaticos-costosos-ano-mundo_1_10794595.html
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spain-invest-502-mln-desalination-plants-catalonia-amid-drought-2024-02-05/

https://www.miragenews.com/ub-institute-eastern-catalonia-faces-worst-1183245/

Main image: pixabay: Martin Klass: https://pixabay.com/photos/desert-ground-rock-spain-sand-dry-5439235/