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CLIMATE CRISIS

IN PICTURES: Drought in Spain intensifies as Roman fort uncovered

Spain is on its way to experiencing one of the worst droughts since records began with reservoirs at their lowest levels in more than a decade. These pictures tell the story.

Published: 12 August 2022 09:41 CEST
IN PICTURES: Drought in Spain intensifies as Roman fort uncovered
Fuente de Piedra lake, Malaga. - Spain's water reserves are currently at less than 40 percent of their capacity. Photo: JORGE GUERRERO / AFP

Many regions across Spain are already suffering from a lack of water and reserves have fallen to 39 percent, the lowest percentage since 1995.

However, a further study published by the Nature Geoscience journal claims that climate change has left parts of the Iberian peninsula at their driest in 1,200 years.

There are already limits on water usage in some municipalities in Catalonia, Galicia, Andalusia, Extremadura, Castilla y León and Castilla-La Mancha.

READ ALSO – Drought: Where in Spain are there limits on water usage?

A prolonged dry spell and extreme heatwaves caused July to be the hottest month on record in Spain, since at least 1961.

Water levels in the Limia River in Galicia are so low that the remains of the ancient Roman fort of Aquis Querquennis have been revealed. They were flooded during the Franco era in 1949 when the As Conchas dam and reservoir were built. The fortress was built around 69-79 AD and was once home to Roman legions when they built the Via Nova road. The site was finally abandoned in 120 AD.

The Cijara reservoir in Extremadura is now 84 percent empty after severe drought and animals are having to survive on what little water remains. 

El Rumblar dam near Baños de la Encina. Photo: PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU / AFP

Located in the Jaén province in Andalusia, the El Rumblar dam near Baños de la Encina is experiencing some of its lowest levels. Jaén used to get around 800 litres (210 gallons) of rainfall per square metre, but is set to only get around half that amount this year.

There is hardly anything left of this waterhole in Andalusia. Photo: JORGE GUERRERO / AFP

This used to be a waterhole in the Doñana National Park, located in the drought-prone province of Huelva. The huge park, home to one of Europe’s largest wetlands, is threatened by intensive farming. Water supplies to the park have declined dramatically due to climate change and the over-extraction of water by neighbouring strawberry farms, often through illegal wells, scientists say.

The reservoirs at the mouth of the River Tagus – Entrepeñas and Buendía in Castilla-La Mancha have lost 23.53 cubic hectometres this week and currently store a total of 566.14 cubic hectometres, which represents 22.5 percent of their capacity, according to data provided by the Tagus Hydrographic Confederation.

In Navarra, the Yesa Reservoir has entered an emergency situation as only 183 cubic hectometres of water are left. The last time these levels were recorded was during the 2001-2002 drought.

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CLIMATE CRISIS

‘Extreme’ climate blamed for world’s worst wine harvest in 62 years

World wine production dropped 10 percent last year, the biggest fall in more than six decades, because of "extreme" climate changes, the body that monitors the trade said on Thursday.

Published: 26 April 2024 08:48 CEST
'Extreme' climate blamed for world's worst wine harvest in 62 years

“Extreme environmental conditions” including droughts, fires and other problems with climate were mostly to blame for the drastic fall, said the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) that covers nearly 50 wine producing countries.

Australia and Italy suffered the worst, with 26 and 23 percent drops. Spain lost more than a fifth of its production. Harvests in Chile and South Africa were down by more than 10 percent.

The OIV said the global grape harvest was the worst since 1961, and worse even than its early estimates in November.

In further bad news for winemakers, customers drank three per cent less wine in 2023, the French-based intergovernmental body said.

Director John Barker highlighted “drought, extreme heat and fires, as well as heavy rain causing flooding and fungal diseases across major northern and southern hemisphere wine producing regions.”

Although he said climate problems were not solely to blame for the drastic fall, “the most important challenge that the sector faces is climate change.

“We know that the grapevine, as a long-lived plant cultivated in often vulnerable areas, is strongly affected by climate change,” he added.

France bucked the falling harvest trend, with a four percent rise, making it by far the world’s biggest wine producer.

Wine consumption last year was however at its lowest level since 1996, confirming a fall-off over the last five years, according to the figures.

The trend is partly due to price rises caused by inflation and a sharp fall in wine drinking in China – down a quarter – due to its economic slowdown.

The Portuguese, French and Italians remain the world’s biggest wine drinkers per capita.

Barker said the underlying decrease in consumption is being “driven by demographic and lifestyle changes. But given the very complicated influences on global demand at the moment,” it is difficult to know whether the fall will continue.

“What is clear is that inflation is the dominant factor affecting demand in 2023,” he said.

Land given over to growing grapes to eat or for wine fell for the third consecutive year to 7.2 million hectares (17.7 million acres).

But India became one of the global top 10 grape producers for the first time with a three percent rise in the size of its vineyards.

France, however, has been pruning its vineyards back slightly, with its government paying winemakers to pull up vines or to distil their grapes.

The collapse of the Italian harvest to its lowest level since 1950 does not necessarily mean there will be a similar contraction there, said Barker.

Between floods and hailstones, and damp weather causing mildew in the centre and south of the country, the fall was “clearly linked to meteorological conditions”, he said.

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