With the merger of the Gállego-Cinca and Huerva basins By the end of May, half of the Ebro basin will be in a state of emergency due to the current drought.As acknowledged by Dolores Pascual, president of the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation (CHE), the intersection of this hydrological system is one of the most serious, if not the most serious.
This was reported to the media prior to the watershed organization’s Standing Drought Commission meeting to analyze the current water situation and the measures implemented to mitigate it.
Analysis has been done every 15 days since April 26 and “the situation worsened“30% of the watershed is currently in a state of famine, that is, a declaration that gives legal guarantees to the watershed organization to take exceptional measures in an emergency.
And the thing is, the head of the CHE admitted, that’s about one of the “most severe” droughts It is registered because it is affecting much of the watershed as reservoirs cannot recover from the 2022 drought, where farmers are already facing allocations and restrictions.
Exemption from copyright and fees
Among the main measures, YÖK agreed to cancel fees and lower rates for irrigation systems those who saw their water rights diminish, as well as emergency work at the Ebro and Yesa reservoirs to supply Cantabria and Zaragoza and the surrounding areas, respectively.
was established control of ecological flows and discharges and temporary permits were activated in case of certain water needs to recover from crisis situations.
Coordination is also being made with the Catalan Water Department and the Civil Guard’s Seprona, which are responsible for monitoring the Ebro’s public areas on its territory.
A is started Monitoring plan for compliance with ecological flows and another for the Ebro Delta, also contacting county councils for environmental monitoring and control and limitation of non-priority uses.
“We are aware that small town councils are assessing the situation and have adequate reserves” – like in the Basque Country or Cantabria, and others with larger populations,” Pascual said. call for restraint and awareness“because,” he pointed out, it was a “progressive and slow” drought.
But he warned that well or groundwater-fed municipalities should take this into account when they may run into problems and have to adjust the supply or seek help.
Dolores Pascual agreed that greater restrictions would be necessary, especially for irrigation users, as an emergency or exceptional situation due to the progression of the extraordinary drought.