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ARCHIVED - Donana National Park on the verge of being declared an endangered World Heritage Site
Unesco is “concerned” about plans to legalise more irrigation in the drought-stricken Andalucía wetlands
Andalucía is in the midst of a political storm as right-wing councillors struggle to push through a bill that will legalise another thousand hectares for the cultivation of strawberries on the edge of Doñana National Park in Huelva. The plans have been flagged with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), which is “concerned” that further irrigation will place the parched wetlands in danger.
Last month, Brussels demanded that Spain ensure the “strict protection” of the Doñana National Park and now, scientists have warned that the wetlands may be categorised as “in danger” at the next meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Saudi Arabia this September.
The extraction of water, both legal and illegal, drought and high temperatures, the operation of a golf course and the urbanisation of Matalascañas, among other human factors, have obliterated half of Doñana’s 3,000 natural lagoons. Only 10% are now in decent condition. A devastating report has recently confirmed that in the Natural Park, trees are dying and amphibians, birds, rabbits, dragonflies and damselflies are all on the verge of extinction.
The Doñana National Park was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1994 for being “an exceptional example of a large Mediterranean wetland where diverse ecosystems coexist that give shelter to a varied fauna.” Now, that distinction is in jeopardy due to the current state of the ecosystem.
If Unesco does include the Park on the list of endangered World Heritage sites, Andalucía and the Spanish government will come under a much fiercer spotlight. The authorities will have to work with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to develop a conservation plan for the wetlands, and further development will likely be halted. On the other hand, the Committee will be in a position to allocate immediate assistance from the World Heritage Fund.
Due to its current state, it’s highly probable that Doñana will enter the list of endangered heritage sites given the “severe deterioration of natural beauty and scientific value”. The Park is also being put at risk by “industrial and agricultural development” as well as by “human invasion that threatens the integrity of the site,” according to the official guidelines.
Unesco, the European Commission and the majority of the Spanish government are against expanding the farming land in Doñana, since yet more irrigation will further deplete the scant water reserves of the wetlands.
Even so, between now and September, the organisation is committed to working with Spain “to guarantee the protection of the universal value of the site."
Image: Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC)
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