Catalonia’s 2.5 bln euro plan to make the region more drought-resistant

The aim is to lessen the region’s exclusive dependence on rains

The Catalan Government has announced that it plans to put forward almost 2.5 billion euros to the Catalan Water Agency (ACA), so that the latter can invest in modernizing technology and infrastructure in a way that would make the region less dependent on rain availability.

The public investment is part of a water management plan until 2027. It’s been designed with several specific aims in mind, given the urgent situation caused by extremely arid weather conditions since last year in the Western Mediterranean. These have caused water levels in reservoirs so low that it necessitated combining some of them to save the fish living in that habitat.

Doubling the capacity for desalination and regeneration

According to forecasts of the Catalan Water Agency (ACA), in the year 2050, a reduction of up to 18% in the availability of water is expected in the Spanish region. In addition, the ACA only manages 40% of the local water resources in a territory where 90% of the population is concentrated. For this reason, the Government Plan wants to move water provision towards self-sufficiency, which would help actually increase water supply by 30%.  

The management plan for the river basin district of Catalonia also places special emphasis on hydro-morphological improvement, the restoration of environmental flows and fluvial connectivity. It pays special attention to dealing with the effects of climate change and the decrease in resources available for consumption and the environment.

For this reason, the goal is to provide impact in water availability by doubling regenerated water (water purification), and desalinated water, as measures to make compatible uses and preservation of maintenance flows in rivers and aquatic systems. Another part of the funding will go towards upgrading the irrigation systems to make them more efficient.

The plan was supposed to be in force by the end of 2022, however, it has been delayed by changes in the executive government. The law stipulates that it ought to be updated every six years.

Recently, Catalonia has seen several rainy days, but according to Manuel Reyes, director of ACA, this will not suddenly end 30 months of drought.