The “most severe drought in memory” in Spain

THE “water year” of 2004 to 2005 which ended on September 30 2005 added to “the two worst years of drought in memory, worse than those of the 80s and 90s”, said Jaime Palop, director general of the Water department. The “water year” 2004 to 2005 was dryer than any year throughout the 20th century, and now there is an average rainfall of nearly 16 percent less than normal, 627 litres per square metre annually. “We have had two years of extreme drought, the worst ever to be seen in Spain”. “Even the droughts of the 80s and 90s were not as harsh as the present one in some areas” such as the valleys of Segura and Jucar, and in Tajo and Guadalquivir, said Palop. The drought was worst in Segura, Jucar, Tajo Entrepeñas and Buendia, and the valley which brings water to Entrepeñas and Buendia “where the drought was severe”, he added. “Another severe drought was recorded in the valley of Guadalquivir and on the left side of the Ebro river, and in all the tributaries which flow from the Pyrenees, which have a very low level of water” he said. Palop explained that the Spanish Ministry for the Environment “is trying to combat the effects of the drought” and has started “a policy of declaration of emergency”. According to Palop, in February last year the San Pedro del Pinatar II desalination plant was declared an emergency work, and from next month will begin to supply 24 cubic hectometres per year. It is “a new source of water” which will be added to the other desalination plants which the Ministry for the Environment has built, such as San Pedro del Pinatar I, supplying another 24 cubic hectometres, and the extension to the Alicante plant which supplies another six cubic hectometres. The emergency was declared “bearing in mind the possibility of long term drought and that the time we are going to need water is from September”, said Palop, who revealed that “we have also been working with other ways of getting water to avoid shortages”. The director general of the Water department spoke about the reservoirs in Entrepeñas and Buendia, in which “we have 241 cubic hectometres and we are maintaining this level”. Elsewhere, 200 climate investigators met yesterday in Zaragoza for the 5th Congress of the Spanish Climatology Association which will continue until September 21.