Ximo Puig announced in September 2021 an ambitious plan to recover the Albufera de València, a project that had, as the former president of the Generalitat stated, the approval of the Government of Spain. This initiative would mean, he explained, “an investment of 600 million euros to protect and recover our most emblematic wetland.” It was, finally, to put the natural park at the top of the priorities of the executive that made up the PSPV and Compromís.
A year ago, the PP denounced that this budget remained at 5.5 million euros compared to the “eternal promise” of the 600 announced in a general policy debate. “The execution is more than painful. Not even one euro has arrived for the investments related to l'Albufera,” said the PP candidate for the Mayor of Valencia, María José Catalá, at that time. Version that was not denied by the Botànic. Of the 5.5 million budgeted for that year, only 169,568 euros had been executed, that is, 3%, relating to agricultural infrastructure.
There has been a change of government in the Generalitat Valenciana and yesterday the new Minister of Environment, Water, Infrastructure and Territory, Salomé Pradas, highlighted the objective of this legislature to protect La Albufera. She denounced that what the Botànic budgeted was not executed: "now we adjust the budget with the guarantee of its execution." She explained that 1.8 million euros will be allocated "to improve the recharge of the water level of the Albufera." To which another 2.6 million euros will be added in actions such as the reform of the El Palmar Aquaculture Center, restoration of the Poyo ravine, the maintenance of the "tancats i ullals" ecosystems of the Generalitat, the removal of waste and closure of landfills in the natural park or for the census of the lake's fauna, according to detailed information from the department.
The councilor appeared yesterday in the Valencian Courts to explain the main lines of her budgets for 2024. She stressed that the Júcar-Vinalopó post-transfer works will cost 16 million euros (5% more), that real investments grow by 20%, and that 21 million will be dedicated to forest management.
The opposition described as "brutal" the "cuts" in this budget, which, according to them, "low in investments" and "confirms climate denialism", while the PP defended that "they are not cuts, they are adjustments", and Vox He was grateful that there was an allocation for the Hunting Federation and that the allocation for the climate emergency was reduced.
The head of Environment, Water, Infrastructure and Territory reported that investments amount to 128 million euros; She explained that there will be 21 million euros for forest management, 10 million of which will be dedicated to promoting strategic projects and announced a new selective waste collection plant.
The socialist María José Salvador criticized the "unmitigated" reduction in the infrastructure budget, which is "lower than the last PP budget of 2015"; She assured that these accounts "confirm climate denialism and represent a slowdown" in boosting economic activity, and accused the Consell of returning to "the water wars."
From Compromís, Juan Bordera assured that these budgets "make water, are incendiary and are a blow to the environment", with "criminal" cuts, and accused the councilor of being "hostage to the extreme right" that denies the climate emergency and of promoting "the water war and tension."
The councilor responded that, unlike Botànic, which "painted" its budgets and had lines with "0% execution", these accounts are going to be executed, despite having less help from the Government of Spain, and has highlighted that they do invest in climate change, with a program that increases from 185,000 euros in 2023 to 250,750 in 2024, 36% more.
