Catalonia plans "independence from rainwater" by 2040

It will be achieved through seawater desalination plants

2.3 billion euros. That’s the price tag that Catalonia will have to pay to solve its increasingly chronic water shortage conditions.

The number was announced by the autonomous region’s government in a recent press conference as the estimated investment that will go towards water security infrastructure in Catalonia, the chief component of which will be water desalination plants.

"We are starting a new path to secure the resource of water in Catalonia, and that is why we have launched an ambitious water management project," Catalan government spokesperson and Territory Minister Sílvia Paneque said after Tuesday's executive council meeting, as quoted by The Catalan News.

Almost half of this amount, 1 billion euros, has already been earmarked for specific projects. One of these, for example, is the construction of a new water desalination plant on the northern Costa Brava. The cost of that plant alone would be some 200 million euros and would require participation from the Spanish government as well.

Chronic drought situation

Catalonia has been in a severe drought for the last three years as relatively very little rain has fallen in the territory in that time. In February, things got so bad that the regional government had to implement state of emergency measures, which included a ban on the filling of private swimming pools, and restrictions on water consumption on the municipal level and for agriculture.

It was only in May when Catalan reservoir levels managed to surpass 20% of capacity when the drought measures were lifted but the situation remains precarious, nevertheless.

The agreements approved on Tuesday design a set of measures that allow Catalonia to reach 70% of its total water consumption guaranteed from its own resources by 2027. For now, the territory has 33% of water resources guaranteed consumption beyond rainwater.