Yzabelle Bostyn
DOÑANA National Park experts have warned recent rainfall may not be enough to stave off drought come summertime.
Juanjo Carmona, WWF coordinator at Doñana, says it is ‘too early’ to celebrate the dramatic rainfall seen this month as the park ‘could still dry out’ in summer.
He says the March downpours are indicative of a new trend, where instead of rain falling progressively in the winter months, huge deluges inundate the park in spring.
“We used to see 80 litres of water in November and 90 in December, last year we got 20 and 30, compared to 150 litres in March,” he said.
Although any rainfall may seem like a godsend in drought ridden Andalucia, gradual rainfall helps to sustain water systems much better than sudden downpours.
“Progressive rain helps feed rivers and sustain ground waters. If water falls all at once, it can cause serious problems and quickly overwhelms congested groundwater systems” he said.
“This month we’ve had incredible rainfall, like I haven’t seen for years. It’s great for some species and I’ve seen some animals more than ever. But I’m concerned it won’t last.”
He warns if record temperatures repeat themselves, the area would quickly dry out, leaving the species that have made their home on the once-humid wetlands vulnerable to predators and starvation.
“Because the water has fallen suddenly, it’s largely superficial meaning it’s likely to evaporate. If it disappears, aquatic birds that are so important to Doñana will be in great danger as predators such as wild boars will be able to reach them,” he said.
Once a ‘refuge’ for wildlife, he warns Doñana is being damaged at the hands of climate change, agriculture and hunting issues.
“I hope the temperature doesn’t rise too much and the water stays so that the park can recover a bit. It’s not about getting pretty photos of the rain, we need to keep Doñana going,” he said.
“We can celebrate at the end of summer when we know if the rain has had a significant impact.”
