This Thursday, the Interdepartmental Drought Commission of the Government of the Generalitat declared an emergency in the areas served by the Ter and Llobregat reservoirs. The reservoirs that supply the region of Barcelona, ??large areas of Girona and the Costa Brava accumulate less than 100 hm3 (with a maximum of 612 hm3) and are at 15.8% of their capacity, which has crossed the threshold of maximum alert (which is located at 16.3%).
It is an unusual and worrying situation for all experts, since the Barcelona region is entering unknown territory. A total of 202 municipalities and six million people will be affected by the new measures, which will be effective tomorrow, when it will be published in the DOGC. With this decision, water restrictions will be intensified, which can fully reach the domestic sphere.
Both the president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, and the climate action councilor, David Mascort, have explained that thanks to the measures adopted, the emergency has been delayed by 15 months. In addition, they highlighted that farmers and ranchers have made a great effort.
“They are not improvised decisions; The roadmap was already marked and was activated with advance and surgical management. We know what we are doing,” said Minister Mascort, who has promised that in 2030 there will be 160 hm3 more water thanks to the two planned desalination plants (Tordera II and Cubelles/Foix) together with the expansion of the Besòs and the increase in flow regeneration.
The Councilor for Climate Action, David Mascort, has rejected the interconnection of the Ebro water network in Camp de Tarragona with the Barcelona metropolitan network (of the public company ATL), as requested by four professional colleges, Foment del Treball and independent personalities.
Mascort has confirmed that it held meetings with the secretaries of these professional associations last Tuesday to discuss this matter. “Interconnection is not a solution for the current drought, because in their own presentation they themselves tell us that the work would be in the summer of 2025; therefore it is not a solution for today.”
Mascort added that the solution to resolve water deficits for the future is already “drawn and approved in the management plan.”
His calculation is that now 200 hm3 of water are being produced and with the new investments (the desalination plants, the regenerated water, the Besòs water and greater efficiency) they will be able to have another 200 hm3 additional, “so the “master lines are already drawn.”
The councilor has reiterated that the infrastructures of the future will focus above all on what is established in the 2022-2027 management plan for the river district of Catalonia, based on new desalination plants and regenerated water.
Regarding the transport of water in boats to Barcelona, ??the councilor assured that “we are working so that if necessary it can be done.” And he added that “the complicated thing is finding ships” and at this point he said that “on Monday we have a meeting with the minister to talk about all these issues.” “The minister has shown a willingness to collaborate. We will bring water by boat if necessary,” she stressed.
President Aragonés has also indicated that he has asked the European Commission for flexibility in European financing rules given the climate crisis in Catalonia and its exceptional situation due to the drought. “We are going to have to go into debt and this flexibility is necessary,” said the president when referring to the new fiscal rules that will force the debt to be limited.
