The regression of the Catalan coastline has been generating problems for some time now. But in the political sphere, the controversy has recently intensified after some statements by the director of Canvi Climàtic of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Mireia Boya, in which she called for assuming that "some beaches will disappear". Although this area is dependent on the State and not the Government, she was critical of the contributions of sand that are currently being carried out to fight against storms, saying that "this strategy is equivalent to throwing money away". A few words that have gone down very badly with various city councils in the Barcelona metropolitan area, which do not want to resign themselves and are committed to fighting to maintain the sandbanks, which are important from a social and economic point of view.
This Thursday on the beach of Gavà, in an act organized by the PSC near where they usually celebrate their traditional festival of the rose, mayors or representatives of municipal governments that the socialists lead or of which they are part of have gathered to lament the words of Buoy. The mayoress of Gavà, Gemma Badia, has acted as spokesperson: "The surprise is capital, they tell us to throw in the towel, to give up the arena", she said. "We cannot lose the beaches", she has added, explaining that five million people live in the metropolitan area and that its sandbanks receive 11 million.
"We need contributions in the short term. We already know that it is not the definitive solution, but it is required until structural measures are undertaken," he added to explain that the Ministry for Ecological Transition tendered a study in November last year that will be ready " between October and November of this year" which will address the situation in depth. However, even if the document is ready, the actions that emanate from it will require more time.
Badia has been accompanied by socialists from Barcelona, l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, El Prat de Llobregat, Castelldefels, Montgat, Molins de Rei, Sant Joan Despí, Sant Boi, Badalona, Viladecans, Sant Adrià de Besòs... not all these municipalities they have a beach, but their inhabitants make intensive use of the metropolitan areas. And it is that not all citizens can afford or simply have the desire to take the road and towel and move to the Costa Brava or La Daurada. That's why they also feel affected.
One month before the municipal elections, in a context already clearly of an electoral campaign, Badia has accused ERC of being "disconnected" from the citizenry. "It cannot be that an administration throws in the towel on a matter like this because what it is doing is condemning to the disappearance of public spaces that are a wealth for the country," she remarked.
The mayoress of Gavà has said that the Ministry "is already doing its job" in the contribution of sand and has expressed concern about what the Port of Barcelona can do, which also contributes: "They have a month. When the director of Canvi Climàtic says that it doesn't have to be done, I'm extremely curious to see what ends up being done." La Vanguardia has asked the port about this issue and will incorporate its response as soon as possible.
Sources from the Department of Climate Action of the Generalitat de Catalunya qualify the situation. "We do not urge or stop urging the municipalities to claim sand," they say when consulted by this newspaper. "The Generalitat does not oppose the demands of the consistories," they add, recalling that the contributions of sand are state competence.
These same sources report that the Government has a "transversal" climate change adaptation strategy that impacts all departments "within our powers." They confirm that they are aware that the climate emergency will bring "changes" to the metropolitan coastline and that it will have to adapt. "But we do not enter into whether sand should be added to one beach or another," they resolve.
