Cristina Hodgson
SPAIN is experiencing some of the worst droughts in the last 20 years, according to climate scientists.
Water reserves in some regions in Spain are already suffering from a ‘deficit’ in their water supplies, worrying local farmers and residents.
To discuss measures to deal with the consequences of the lack of rainfall in the countryside, the Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, announced this Monday, February 21, that the Drought Committee will convene ‘in the next few days.’
“I am in a position to announce that in the next few days the so-called ‘Drought Committee’ will convene to discuss with the whole of the sector and the autonomous communities, to see what measures we can propose”, Planas said on his arrival at the meeting of European Union agriculture ministers held yesterday, Monday, in Brussels.
Additionally Spain and Portugal have asked the European Commission (EC) for the mobilisation of funds in order to carry out ‘specific actions to support the agricultural or livestock sector affected by this drought.’
According to Planas, the start of his hydrological year, from October 1 2021 to February 1 2022, rainfall in Spain has fallen by 38% compared to the average of the last 30 years in the same period.
“We are therefore facing a period of drought, which is obviously more intense in the southern part of the peninsula, particularly in Andalucia and Extremadura,” he said.
“In view of the situation, all requests made are very reasonable in order to carry out specific actions to support the agricultural or livestock sector affected by this drought,” he added.
READ MORE:
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- Dry January raises drought fears in not-so rainy Spain as reservoir capacity goes down to 44%
- Severe droughts to ravage south-eastern Spain within 30 years as water supplies are set to fall by 40%
