The Spanish government announced €2.2 billion worth of drought response measures on Thursday, including funding for urban water re-use and further aid for struggling farmers.
The announcement of the aid package comes ahead of regional and local elections on 28 May and what promises to be closely fought national elections at the end of the year.
Currently, 27% of Spanish territory is experiencing a drought ’emergency’ or ‘alert’, and water reserves are below 50%. 2022 was Spain’s hottest year since record-keeping started in 1961, and last month was the hottest and driest April on record.
There appears to be no relief in sight. No rainfall is expected in the coming weeks that could ‘alleviate’ the drought, AEMET spokesman Ruben del Campo said on Thursday.
‘Spain is a country used to facing periods of drought,’ Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera said at the press briefing on Thursday, following an extraordinary cabinet meeting to approve the new measures. ‘But as a result of climate change, what we are witnessing is a much higher incidence … for which we must prepare ourselves.’
Ribera said €1.4 billion would go toward building the infrastructure to double the use of treated wastewater in urban areas and constructing new desalination plants to increase the national supply of drinking water.
More work is needed to modernise and repair Spain’s water infrastructure, she added. Unattended leaks cost Spaniards 15% of their total water supply.
Meanwhile Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food promised €636 million of direct aid and help with insurance, loans and tax breaks for farmers, ranchers and beekeepers. Water allowances for irrigation have been cut and vegetation has dried up during the drought.
Spain’s olive oil production plummeted 55% in the 2022-2023 season to 660,000 tonnes, compared to 1.48 million tonnes in 2021-2022, due to the lack of rain and extreme heat, agriculture ministry figures show.
The situation is so bad that some farmers have opted not to plant crops, with the COAG farmers’ union warning that 80% of farmland was ‘suffocating’ from lack of rainfall.
Spain is Europe’s leading producer and exporter of fresh fruit and vegetables. The country requested emergency funds from the European Union last month given the poor prognosis for this year’s crops. ALSO READ: Spain requests emergency funds from EU as drought hits farmers.
Agriculture Minister Luis Planas said the goal was to ‘ensure farmers and ranchers could continue to produce food’.
On Wednesday, the government also announced plans to ban outdoor work during periods of extreme heat.
El Consejo de Ministros ha aprobado un paquete de medidas urgentes para apoyar al sector agrario, valorado en cerca de algo más de 784 M€.
— La Moncloa (@desdelamoncloa) May 11, 2023
🚜Unos 636,7 M€ del total serán ayudas directas para agricultores y ganaderos.
Abrimos hilo⬇️ pic.twitter.com/ob0dM18LkI
👉 He anunciado hoy la adopción de medidas de apoyo al sector primario por un valor de 784,2 M€. El objetivo es doble:
— Luis Planas Puchades (@LuisPlanas) May 11, 2023
1⃣ Asegurar la continuidad productiva de nuestros #agricultores y #ganaderos y el abastecimiento alimentario.
2⃣ Aliviar las cargas añadidas por la sequía. pic.twitter.com/ndyuUjKJGt
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