Drought is a natural phenomenon that consists of a decrease in rainfall below the average (which would be normal in an area) and, consequently, a decrease in available water resources, both in reservoirs and aquifers. Spain faces, ending 2017, with the most intense drought in the last 20 years. To better understand this situation, it is advisable to read about the drought situation in Spain.
The worst drought
The lack of rainfall is reducing the levels of the reservoirs in the southeast basins and, also alarmingly, those in the northwest. Levels are around 30%, values never seen since 1990. The situation is critical, and remembering that these conditions are compounded by others that impact the environment, such as the fight against climate change, is crucial for the population. The water stored in reservoirs, not counting the recent rains, it is 20 points below the average of the last 10 years. The climate of Spain has been and will always be dry, with drought cycles of more or less 3-4 years. However, this drought is the most intense in more than 20 years.
This situation of lack of water becomes delicate in basins such as the Miño-Sil, Segura, Júcar, Guadalquivir and especially in the Duero, with almost 30% less than 10 years ago. Given Spain's geographical location and terrain, droughts are quite common. Therefore, 75% of Spanish territory is susceptible to desertification. Between 1991 and 1995, there was already a similar drought episode with such low values. For a more detailed analysis, it is useful to review the drought conditions in November 2017.
This drought was due to the low rainfall in 2014 and 2016, when rainfall was 6% below average. Furthermore, springs have less rainfall, and water supply networks serving the population are losing almost 25% of their water. Added to all these factors is the increase in tourism across almost all of Spain. agricultural areas for irrigation and, due to the increase in average temperatures, so does the evaporation rate of the water.
Too dry year
This hydrological year, which ended in October of this year, has been very dry overall. The greenest areas of Spain, such as Galicia, northern Castile and León, much of Asturias, and Cantabria, have also experienced a drastic reduction in rainfall. The driest areas of the year have undoubtedly been Extremadura, Andalusia, and the Canary Islands. In these regions, rainfall did not exceed 75% of the normal value, making it the eighth year with the least rainfall since 1981.
Since the beginning of this new hydrological year (2017-2018), the situation has only worsened. Based on the average of 150 liters per square meter normally collected from October to November, only 63 were collected. That is, 58% less than normal. To better understand how these changes affect the environment, it is interesting to consider the data on rainfall in Spain.
Aftermath of the drought
In many reservoirs in Spain villages have emerged that were under the water given the low water level. These towns they were submerged since the 60s, during the creation of most Spanish reservoirs. Some of these villages and monuments are the ancient church of Santa Eugenia de Cenera de Zalima in the Aguilar de Campoo reservoir (Palencia) and the ancient village of Mansilla in La Rioja. For more information on this phenomenon, see the case of the Mansilla reservoir.
One of the main problems that drought causes in populations is the problem of supply. Water cuts are necessary to safeguard water resources for as long as possible. The government assures that it is working to the maximum to avoid water restrictions. However, if this situation continues, some communities will experience problems with their water supply. As you can see, proper, sustainable use of water is one of the fundamental pillars of a country that continually suffers from drought. Losing 25% in the supply network This is a complete waste that we cannot allow. To avoid this situation, the population must be educated to make the most of this precious and scarce resource.
