Given the drought situation that Spain is suffering, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment has launched the campaign this Tuesday «Water gives us life. Let's take care of her », with the aim of raising awareness among the population about the need to save water given the low rainfall expected throughout the year.
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«Water gives us life. Let's take care of it »
With the aim of making a sustainable and efficient use of water in the face of the drought situation Spain is facing, the environmental education campaign “Water gives us life. Let's take care of it.
Water it is a very valuable resource for life on the planet and, of course, for human development. Unfortunately, the amount of water available on the peninsula is decreasing due to the decrease in rainfall and the increase in temperatures, factors that are under the impact of the climate changeThese are two factors to take into account, since not only does it rain less, but more water also evaporates.
Despite the cold waves and the fronts that we have passed in Spain, our water resources continue to be worrying, so we cannot lower our guard.
The last hydrological year, between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017, has been, according to the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), the eighth driest since 1981. Furthermore, the impact of climate change on droughts is less than expected, making the implementation of conservation strategies crucial.
The hydrological year began on October 1, 2017 and, according to Aemet data, the rainfall that has accumulated in the period between October 1 and December 31 was 43% lower than normal rainfall values that are recorded every year. This highlights the importance of strategies such as Campaign on water saving in Spain.
Therefore, it is important to know that we have to make good use of water so as not to waste so many liters in our activities, since when we face the climate change directly affects our water resources.
Precipitation is also usually measured by calendar years, that is, from January to December. In this way, the year 2017 has ended with the second driest year since 1965, taking into account that some areas of Spain have been facing drought for the fifth consecutive year.
Taking care of water is our responsibility
The campaign issued by Mapama will be developed on television, written press, internet, social networks and also in public spaces. Since people use water every day, it is our responsibility to make good use of it and learn how to save water. They are just small gestures such as closing the tap when not in use, watering at times when the sun does not evaporate the water, using double-push cisterns, controlling the water used in the shower, etc. Those that make the difference in the total water consumption of Spaniards, since, although at the individual level it does not make a huge difference, we are more than 48 million inhabitants.
When using appliances such as the washing machine, it is important to use them when they are completely full, as this would help us save more than 3.000 liters per month and is essential to be able to face the effects of climate changeFixing leaky faucets causes us to lose more than 30 liters a day. Therefore, taking into account all these water consumption figures, the campaign reminds us that water is so important to the planet that it is responsible for giving us life, therefore, it is imperative to take care of it and know how to conserve it. It is also recommended to learn more about the water supply in Spain.
Drought plans and restrictions
Faced with the drought situation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment has carried out different actions to alleviate its effects, and the planning carried out in recent years has made it possible to avoid restrictions and affects the population.
When a prolonged drought occurs in a country, Drought Plans are established. In Spain, these Drought Plans were approved in 2007 and are currently under review. These plans establish action protocols for responding to water resource shortages and are based on anticipating and developing policies for the administration's actions in water management.
This is intended to minimize the environmental, economic, and social impact caused by a drought like the one currently being experienced in Spain.
