Cristina Hodgson
ANDALUCIA is going through one of its most complicated moments in terms of water scarcity in its history.
Southern Spain has not seen its reservoirs at such a limit for more than five decades and the future looks bleak.
Yesterday morning, Thursday June 15, the Guadalquivir Hydrographic Confederation (CHG) publicly expressed its concern.
According to its data, this basin is suffering ‘the longest and most intense drought’ since 1970.
That said, the president of the CHG, Joaquin Paez, in a message of reassurance, has indicated that access to drinking water and sanitation ‘ is guaranteed for a year and a half even without rain’.
Regardless of the 18 months guaranteed water supply, the Confederation is working to alleviate the effects of the drought with water resources management policies including the management of a sustainable urban water cycle and the adoption of credible and reliable policies to solve water scarcity problems.
On May 12 the Spanish Government approved the Royal Decree on drought with an investment of €1,400 million euros throughout Spain, of which €345 million euros will be spent entirely in Andalucia.
The Guadalquivir River Basin, located in southern Spain, covers an area of 57,184 km2.
The main water abstractions in the Guadalquivir River basin are irrigation (88%), domestic uses (10%), industrial (1.1%) and energy production (0.9%).
READ MORE:
- Emergency works sanctioned to clean the water in Malaga’s Viñuela reservoir as levels drop below 10% and drought continues
- Spain approves €2.19 billion plan to combat effects of ongoing drought
