This year we are witnessing one of the most serious consequences of climate change: drought. It is no longer just that the average temperature is increasing, something that endangers our forests, but that it is not raining as it should. The reservoirs are running out of water, and if the situation does not improve soon we could suffer cuts in your supply.
The drought that we are suffering, especially in the north of the peninsula, It is the worst that has been lived in the country for more than 25 years.
What is the situation of the reservoirs?
Reservoirs are below 50%Right now, we're living in a thirsty country. In the Duero Basin, they're at less than 30%, compared to around 60% last year at this time. The Guadalquivir Basin is at 40%, the Júcar Basin at 30%, and the Segura Basin at 18%.
The Miño and Sil basins, once well-supplied, are now in a state of emergency: rainfall in the area has decreased by an average of 25 to 30% over the past 40 years. This reflects how climate change is impacting the availability of water resources, an issue that requires attention, especially when considering the displacement of people due to lack of water.
Consequences of drought
The low rainfall and the increase in temperature, as well as the increase in the population (especially tourism) are the main responsible for this decrease in water in the reservoirs. But, in a way, this was something that could be predicted. We had one very hot spring, a summer also hot and dry which has lasted until almost the beginning of October in many places such as the Mediterranean region.
The rains seem not to want to come, which has forced 60 towns in Castilla y León to supply the precious liquid with tanker trucks, and almost 30 in Guadalajara and Cuenca. In addition, there are areas in La Rioja, in the Sierra Sur de Sevilla, in the Axarquía of Malaga, in the northwest of León, the center of Ourense and in many towns in Extremadura that may be affected by power cuts. But these are not the only consequences.
When it rains excessively and the swamps are full, the hydroelectric plants open the floodgates to produce energy. This causes prices to go down; instead, When water is lacking, companies decide when to produce energy, which raises the electricity bill. In addition, it is essential to take into account the effects of the lack of snow in the water supply, as has been demonstrated in the Tables of Daimiel.
For agriculture and livestock drought is a very serious problem. Without water, neither plants nor animals can grow. The drought situation in Spain is alarming and requires urgent attention.
All that remains is to wait for rain. Perhaps in the future, rain cloud seeding could solve the problem, as explored in some studies on artificial clouds and their impact on the climate.
In my country, Ecuador, and particularly in my Manabi Province, we are experiencing a readjustment of the seasonal periods, which are having an impact above all on the duration of the periods and intensity of the rains, since they are very short and with less intensity. This behavior affects our region, especially in the agricultural sector, also in the supply of water for urban consumption.