Wednesday, November 03, 2004

Consequences of climate change in Southern Spain

According to an article published today in Diario Información, the European Environment Agency has published a report on the consquences of climate change in Spain. The report warns that the province of Alicante will lose 20% its water resources during the next 75 years as average temperatures are expected to rise by as much as 4º. This means that if population in Southern Spain continues to rise, the whole area will have a serious drinking-water problem in a few decades time. Last week was Alicante's driest ever week in October.

The results of the study were made public last week by the Spanish Secretary of Prevention of Pollution and Climate Change, Arturo Gozale Azpiri during a talk at a conference held about desalination, a process which converts salt water into drinking water.

Some experts claim that desalination represents the only solution for areas facing potential water resource problems, whereas other experts claim that the spread of desalination facilities will allow further growth of areas that do not have the natural means to support their exploding populations and that the pollution caused by desalination plants undermine the positive effects derived from the conversion of salt water to drinking water.

Gozale Azpiri said at the desalination conference that the plants which will be set up in Spain to counteract the desertification of some areas will respect the pollution limits established by the Kioto Agreement. Spain's Socialist government has completely overturned the previous administration's environmental policy, particularly in water management, and sees the construction of desalination plants as the most viable solution to Spain's water problems.

Related news items:
Climatic change in Spain

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posted by Euroresidentes at 11:29 AM

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3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

See the website: www.waterbag.com for the solution; transporting large quantities of fresh water from Mediterranean Rivers (Rhone, Manavgat, Blue Eye, etc. to places in need. Spragg BagTM waterbag technology is easy to demonstrate, the economics are easy to calculate, and the politics can be solved. Review this website and contact Mr. Spragg

7:06 AM  
Anonymous Mike said...

With the Spanish population still rapidly growing and the lack of fresh glacier water this is going to be a real problem. Not only for Spain but for the entire south of Europe.

12:09 PM  
Anonymous Mike said...

The population of Spain is rapidly growing, especially in the south (african migration), and with the lack of fresh glacier water drought is going to be a severe problem for Spain and the rest of southern Europe. I don't think waterbags are a final solution, but it's an originial initiative...

12:13 PM  

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