Drought Declared in Catalonia: Water Restrictions Implemented in 24 Municipalities
A severe drought caused by prolonged lack of rainfall has led to the declaration of a state of emergency in 24 municipalities in Catalonia. The region has been experiencing water scarcity for several years, as reported by AP.
During a press conference, Samuel Reyes, the director of the Catalan Water Resources Agency, announced that water usage will be restricted in agricultural and industrial sectors as part of the emergency measures. However, drinking water will remain exempt from these restrictions.
The measures are set to take effect next week and will apply to 22 cities in Alt Empordà, the northeastern district of Spain, and two cities south of the regional capital, Barcelona. The total population affected by these restrictions amounts to 26,000 individuals.
The implemented actions include an 80% reduction in irrigation water for agriculture and a 25% reduction for industrial use. Additionally, filling swimming pools and watering gardens and parks will be prohibited.
Furthermore, filling public fountains and using fresh water for car washing will also be banned. In urban areas, the water usage norm for showers will be reduced from 230 liters per day to 200 liters per day per person.
The Catalan Water Agency reported that residents typically consume 116 liters of water per day and Reyes encouraged them to aim for a target of 90 liters per day.
Catalonia is one of the regions in Spain severely affected by the two-year drought that has also impacted other areas, including Andalusia. The Spanish Ministry of Environment revealed that, as of Wednesday, reservoirs were filled to only 42% of their capacity.
The restrictions are set to mitigate the impact of the drought on the affected communities.
It's worth noting that according to scientific data, last July was the hottest month in the past 120,000 years. The information was derived from climate data spanning millennia, obtained through the study of tree rings, coral reefs, and deep-sea deposits. The global air temperature in the first 23 days of July reached 16.95°C, significantly higher than the 16.63°C recorded in July 2019. These registered temperatures were approximately 1.5°C higher than pre-industrial levels, which, however, still align with the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting the global temperature increase to below +2°C compared to pre-industrial levels.