BARCELONA The village was submerged when the river was dammed 60 years ago.
The resulting dam secured the water supply of Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia. The only reminder of the village of Sant Romà de Sau, built in the 11th century, was the top of the church bell tower, which looked out over the pool.
Now the whole church is visible. In front of it, the bottom of the river is cracking from dryness.
In Catalonia and parts of the rest of Spain, the drought is the worst in more than a hundred years.
– It is incomprehensible how much the water has dropped. I remember when I paddled here and the water level was at the window of the church tower, says the 21-year-old Sergio Iberico.
The one with him Sonia Vivancos describes the situation as sad and scary.
Young people living nearby have come to see the ruins of the church. They are also of interest to others.
“Drought tourism” has become a phenomenon in the region.
– Last year I did the same run and then the water was higher. I am worried for myself and my family, says the cyclist Antonio Rodriguez.
– I try to use water as sparingly as possible, he adds.
In the Finns’ favorite destination, the low water pressure makes it difficult to take a shower
In Catalonia, the drought has continued for three years.
Only a critical 16 percent of the region’s water resources will soon be left. At that point, the leadership of the Autonomous Region of Catalonia is preparing to declare a state of emergency in the area. It would mean stricter water use restrictions for households as well.
Water fees have already been increased, and water use is restricted, especially in agriculture. Watering of parks has also been stopped, fountains remain dry and filling of swimming pools intended for private use is prohibited.
Many gyms charge an extra fee to use the pool and some have closed the pool area completely.
Climate issues in Catalonia equivalent David Mascort has urged people to shower at home instead of at gyms. According to him, water is used less at home.
Mascort has also announced that the water pressure will be reduced. This was already done in southern Spain’s Andalusia, which is one of the worst drought-affected regions in Spain.
In the Finns’ favorite destination on the Sunshine Coast the water pressure has been lowered so low in some places that it can be difficult to take a shower.
Even there, it is forbidden to fill swimming pools intended for private use. Known as a luxury destination on the Costa del Sol, Marbella alone is estimated to have around 10,000 swimming pools.
Both tourism and food production are at risk
In Andalusia and Catalonia, the effects of drought on tourism are feared.
In Catalonia, for example, part of the entrepreneurs who organize kayaking trips are in trouble when the water has receded in the rivers.
Both areas are also very important agricultural and food production areas.
In Finland, the drought in Spain is reflected in the price of vegetables and fruits and, for example, olive oil. The price of olive oil has risen to a new record, and the basic raw material of the Spanish kitchen has become a luxury product.
Last year alone oil became more expensive by more than 50 percent compared to the previous year. At the same time, in many Spanish stores, burglar alarms have appeared on oil bottles.
Seawater is made into drinking water for city dwellers
The Spanish government held emergency meetings throughout the fall because of the drought.
The government decided, among other things, on the construction of new desalination plants. At the stations, seawater is made into drinking water by removing salt.
The largest desalination plant in Spain is located next to Barcelona Airport. In fact, it is the largest desalination plant in all of Europe, which produces domestic water. The treated water is pumped from the nearby Mediterranean Sea.
You can get to know the operation of the facility from the video below.
Without the Llobregat desalination plant, locals and millions of tourists would not have enough water.
The institution’s spokesperson Laia Hernandez Lloret According to
There are tanks in the yard of the desalination plant from which seawater is pumped into the plant. There, actual osmosis takes place, where salt is removed from the seawater, and fresh drinking water is left behind. 45 liters of fresh water are obtained from 100 liters of seawater.
Right now, the facility is operating at full capacity. However, more water is needed. That’s why new desalination plants are being planned for Barcelona as well.
There are similar plans elsewhere in Spain, such as Andalusia.
Ports are being prepared for water transport
Purification of seawater alone will not solve the water shortage. It is too slow and expensive, and consumes a lot of energy.
Cleaning also pollutes and accelerates climate change, at least as long as energy is not obtained entirely from renewable energy sources.
If it doesn’t rain even in the spring, southern Spain’s Málaga and northern Barcelona are thinking about the possibility of bringing water from elsewhere.
This is also how it was done in Barcelona 16 years ago, when Catalonia was suffering from a drought. At that time, water was brought by ship from the south of France.
However, the preliminary plan has caused outrage in the areas from which the water was supposed to be brought.
Among them are Murcia, which itself suffers from drought, and the holiday island of Mallorca. A water search trip to Spain is also planned from Marseille in the south of France.
Environmental organizations have criticized the plan. According to them, there is not enough water from these areas to transport elsewhere.
However, the port of Barcelona has already been prepared for possible water transport.
– So far, no decisions have been made about bringing water from elsewhere, David Mascort, responsible for climate affairs in Catalonia, told before Christmas.
We are hoping for rain in Spain now. According to the weather report, heavy rains are expected on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.
In addition, efforts are being made to encourage citizens to take water-saving measures. That is why the desalination plant in Barcelona is often congested.
– Groups of local and foreign schoolchildren come here every week to get to know the operation of the institution. At the same time, the children learn how important a natural resource water is, says Laia Hernandez Lloret, spokeswoman for the desalination plant.