Drought split the map of Spain in two. It starts in the Pyrenees of Girona and descends parallel to the Mediterranean on a route ranging from 50 to 200 kilometers from the coast, reaching the height of Seville. It has a population of 20 million and is the second to eighth most populous province in Spain. 40% of tourists coming to Spain visit the four affected communities and stay in their hotels and estates. Some of the country’s most important industrial areas are concentrated not only on the Mediterranean coast, but also in orchards. All businesses that depend on water for production, whether chemical products or fruits and vegetables.
There is no need to go back to Biblical times to know this. Periods of drought recur periodically, and one day it unexpectedly begins to rain and does not stop. This occurred in May 2008, which served to fund investment in desalination plants that alleviated the drought of 2016 and 2017, which ended 18 months with almost no rain; but its records are not available, on track to break historical records. Showering can become a luxury.
Those waiting for the spring rain to stop have emerged again Old debates about how to predict, forecast and what to invest in to avoid a repeat of the current situation in 2032. With these misfortunes, political and local debates continue to override possible solutions compared to the technicians’ bets. And it’s not a matter of money. If Spain can continue building the second-largest high-speed rail network on the planet after China, it is time for it to start investing seriously in hydraulic systems that will allow it to address future droughts caused by climate change. Change may cause it to get worse.
Should we invest more in desalination plants that allow purified seawater to be transported inland? Should irrigation systems that are more technologically advanced than those currently available be installed? Should we emulate the hydraulic policies developed by Israel, which produces more drinking water than it consumes and has plans to supply it to Jordan? Or do we need to reintroduce hydraulic transfer projects from France and other basins?
The Mequinenza reservoir, located before the Ebro River reaches Tarragona, today has 80% capacity. What prevents the invention of an aqueduct system that would transfer some of the captured water to areas where it is needed in emergencies such as the current one? Civil engineering allows us to build waterways, just as it allowed us to open canals and build swamps in the past.
It is imperative to call on different political colors and the different administrations involved to agree once and for all to find a solution. This is called interregional solidarity. Water has no flag or political logo.