Drought threatens Spanish agriculture

Standing in a field of stunted, withered corn, Mr. Santi Caudevilla, a farmer in Catalonia (Spain), expressed his concern: “If the weather continues like this, this year’s harvest will be a failure. Everything will be for nothing.”

Farmers in the Gimenells region of Catalonia are among those hit hard by the severe drought that is ravaging northeastern Spain, CNN reports. Months of low rainfall have left the region experiencing its worst drought in 100 years.

Part of an ancient village at a reservoir in Catalonia (Spain) was revealed when the lake dried up. Photo: Reuters

In March, Spain received just 36% of its average monthly rainfall. In late April, southern Spain was hit by a record heatwave, with temperatures reaching nearly 39 degrees Celsius. The combination of drought and heat has raised concerns about wildfires, which burned 306,000 hectares of forest last year. In fact, Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average. Droughts and heat waves are becoming more frequent and severe, with scientists blaming human-caused climate change.

Located about 100 kilometers north of Barcelona, a large reservoir supplies water to the entire region. Last April, after a long drought, the lake’s water level dropped so much that it was reduced to just 7 percent of its capacity, leaving the remains of a submerged medieval village at the bottom. Local officials were forced to remove some of the fish from the lake so that the remaining fish could have enough oxygen to breathe.

Other reservoirs across Catalonia are at just 25% capacity, well below normal levels for this time of year. The lack of water is, of course, having a catastrophic impact on the region’s farms. This year’s wheat and barley harvests are all but lost. Catalonia is one of Europe’s most important agricultural regions.

The drought has affected 60% of Spain’s rural areas and has destroyed more than 3.5 million hectares of crops. Livestock are also at risk as pastures dry up. Fruit orchards, vineyards and olive groves—Spain’s main export—have also suffered.

Joan Girona Gomis, a scientist at the Institute of Agro-Food Research and Technology in Catalonia, said he hoped what was happening in Spain and other parts of Europe would remind people of where their food came from: “Fruit is grown in the field, not on the supermarket shelf.”

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/quoc-te/doi-song/han-han-de-doa-nen-nong-nghiep-tay-ban-nha-726952

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