The danger is not limited to Doñana. Other Andalusian wetlands face the same threat, including the Cabo de Gata salt pans in Almería where the seawater inlet channel is blocked and salt flats are drying up. This disruption endangers the future of many bird species that rely on stable water levels and plentiful food in these coastal ecosystems.
The Mediterranean salt flats serve as a crucial refuge for thousands of migratory birds. They rely on consistent water levels to maintain food supplies. Among the most important in Europe are the Cabo de Gata salt flats in Almería, home to more than a hundred bird species. Their geographic position makes them a stopover on the African-European migration route and a wintering site for many birds.
This coastal wetland is protected by several designations: the Ramsar Convention, a Biosphere Reserve, Red Natura 2000 with ZEPA and ZEC protections, Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, and Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas IBA 216 and a marine IBA ES406.
When the saltwater balance is lost, as is happening at Cabo de Gata now, the wetland loses its ecological function. Not only does the temporary lack of water stress birds, it also disrupts the production of food resources birds depend on, and this decline grows with each passing day of reduced water flow caused by human actions.
Not a temporary problem
Heavy spring rains in Almería triggered landslides and sediment movements around Cabo de Gata, washing away material that clogged the channel feeding seawater into the symbolic salt flats. The blockage means the salt flats have remained dry for weeks, as reported by SEO BirdLife.
Beyond the blockage, these salt flats require structural remodeling to preserve their ecological function and improve salt harvesting efficiency, according to experts.
The French company Salins, the operator, along with the sluggish response of the regional government, has had a detrimental effect on the wetland’s biodiversity. Local conservationists note that years of neglect exacerbate the situation. A lack of care compounds the risk to the site’s ecological integrity.
View spanning Cabo de Gata salt flats shows the drying landscape, captured by Audalix and shared in the public record.
Enrique López Carrique, a professor at the University of Almería and a partner in SEO BirdLife, confirms that the French operator and previous owners have shown little interest in preserving industrial facilities or heritage. Parts of the salt flats have been sold, the administration building is in disrepair, and workers have been reduced. The water engines are not being repaired, and torrential rains have caused damage to roofs and canals. In contrast, French salt mines preserve museums and tourist trains, while the Spanish facility loses momentum.
As a result, the drying up of the salt flats reduces water access and food for the region’s traditional birds. Teresa Martínez, spokesperson for the local SEO BirdLife group in Almería, notes that once water returns, the microbe community that sustains the birds must recover, a process that requires time and sustained political and commercial commitment.
Martínez argues that any measures or solutions must be designed for the long term and aligned with technical, legal, and environmental standards. She emphasizes that changing weather patterns in the region are making such events more frequent and extreme.
Urgent measures
SEO BirdLife, Unión Salinera, and its parent company Salins, along with the Ministry of Sustainable Development of the Junta de Andalucía, are called to act promptly to restore the integrity of the saltpans’ water circuit.
An image shows a typical footrest near the site, illustrating the industrial context of the area.
The abandonment and drying of these salt flats threaten not only biodiversity but also the landscape and cultural values that Cabo de Gata’s coastal area represents for tourism. The shores and seabeds already have high ecological value, and the saltpans, geological sites, and botanics contribute to the park’s overall importance.
The broader hydrological crisis affecting Doñana National Park marks a worrying trend shared by other Andalusian wetlands, though the Sierra Nevada rivers and Jaén lagoons are not equally endangered. Conservationists stress that these ecosystems perform critical environmental roles beyond the birds they harbor, yet they remain vulnerable to climate change and inadequate policy planning.
The situation remains urgent and unresolved, with calls for coordinated action from environmental authorities and industry to restore water flow and ecological balance to these vulnerable wetlands.