The areas affected by the extreme drought in Catalonia are spreading like an oil stain. The Government has decided to extend the exceptional situation due to lack of reserves in another seven territories in river areas under its jurisdiction. Catalonia goes from having 224 exceptional municipalities to 495 municipalities, totaling 6.632 million inhabitants.
The areas in this new situation are Anoia-Gaià, the head of the Ter, the Darnius-Boadella area, the Empordà, the Llobregat Mitjà, Prades-Llaberia and the Transversal mountain range.
Limitations on the use of water that are already being applied in the central region of Catalonia and Girona, served by the Ter and Llobregat reservoirs, will be implemented in all these areas.
The water restrictions in the exceptional phase focus on the agricultural, livestock and industrial sectors (with cuts of 40%, 30% and 15%) and the prohibition of the use of drinking water for irrigation of parks and public and private green areas , among other.
The director of the Catalan Water Agency (ACA), Samuel Reyes, stated yesterday that the rains over the long weekend have been "positive, but still insufficient" to reverse the drought situation. They have given a "slight breather", but they are far from having provided sufficient flows to get out of the exceptional situation.
The reservoirs have gained between two and three cubic hectometres, so it is estimated that resources could be scratched for about two weeks in total. This "cushion" could be extended over the weekend, when another episode of rain is expected. The reservoirs that supply the Barcelona region are at 25% of their capacity, while last year on the same dates they were at 59%.
“We would need the entire month of May to be this way to get out of this exceptionality and for all the municipalities that are not connected to supra-municipal networks and that depend on aquifers to benefit,” says Reyes.
In the current situation, and in the most negative scenario (with a total absence of rainfall), the Barcelona region could enter an emergency situation at the beginning of September. In this case, domestic restrictions would have to be applied for basic services (such as pressure reduction in pipes, time cuts and others).
The rains have relieved the stress of the plants, but there is a risk of fires due to the accumulation of very dry biomass. Until April, fires have increased by 60% compared to 2021 and 13% compared to 2022. "Climate change is telling us that forest fires are no longer just a summer thing," stressed Patrícia Plaja, government spokesperson.
Firefighters will also find themselves with a lack of water in the reservoirs. Some will not be able to be used by bomber planes, which are the ones that collect water for extinction; Specifically, the La Baells, La Llosa de Cavall and Sau reservoirs will not be able to fulfill this function. All this can mean that water collection has to be done in more distant places, with the consequent delays in action, without being able to trust the seawater option.
Meanwhile, the Generalitat maintains its support plan for municipalities with subsidies totaling 50 million euros, so that they can guarantee the supply and, at the same time, comply with their emergency plans in the face of drought. However, the Government is lenient and to date has not initiated any disciplinary proceedings against the municipalities for exceeding the established water allowances (250 liters for all uses in the alert phase that has already been overcome), as established in the drought decree . In this sense, Reyes indicated that the intention is to "remind" the municipalities of the current water restrictions and urge them to comply with them and take the necessary measures.
The Government will allocate 20 million in 2023 for the Forest Fire Prevention Plan, whose campaign will last one month this year compared to previous editions: it will begin on June 1 (15 days earlier than usual) and will end on September 30 (15 days later than usual). The plan is, according to the Government, the "most ambitious in the history" of this community, and is endowed with 74 million euros until 2025.
