- EDITIONS: Spanish News Today Murcia Today Alicante Today
article_detail
Date Published: 10/01/2023
ARCHIVED - Government limits water available to Murcia, Alicante and Almeria farmers, but promises big spending for 2027
The water supply from the Tagus-Segura has been cut in Murcia and other provinces to comply with Supreme Court rulings
Spain’s Minister for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, has defended the government’s decision to cut the amount of water available from the Tagus-Segura transfer as the country must comply with five separate Supreme Court Rulings on the matter, but in the same breath has given her guarantee that by 2027, an additional 120 cubic hectometres of water will be made available to Murcia, Almeria and Alicante.
The four-year wait could prove a bit of a stretch for farmers in these areas, many of whom are already struggling to irrigate their crops after an extremely dry year. However, a massive investment of 8 billion euros – the largest amount ever allocated – will allow the government to take advantage of a new flow from 2025, thereby meeting the 120 hectometre target by 2027.
Of the total, more than a billion will be invested in infrastructure in Murcia; 540 million euros will go to Alicante and more than 44 million to Almeria therefore “guaranteeing” water for households, businesses and farms. The bulk of the funds will go towards desalination plants, recycling water and increasing the connections between facilities.
However, many farmers in these three provinces in Spain’s Levante area are up in arms about the perceived slight to their profession and their ability to water their crops in the short term. They are planning a mass demonstration to protest against the decision in Madrid on Wednesday January 11, and representatives from several Town Halls have stated they will also be there to stand behind the farmers in their fight for justice.
“It is in our hands that this is definitely a solution for all territories,” Ms Ribera stressed, adding that the Ministry will continue to work with irrigators so that the price they pay for water is reasonable and does not reduce their ability to water their crops.
To keep prices low for farmers, a large portion of the budget will be invested in renewable energies so that the cost of desalinating the water will be “drastically reduced”.
Also of interest: Meteorologists warn of devastating long term drought in Spain
Image: Archive
staff.inc.and
Loading
See more environmental news about Spain:
OR
Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin to get a comprehensive email with all the week’s news for Spain, Murcia, Alicante and Andalucía.
Get a sneak peek – here are a few of our recent Subscription Bulletins:
25% Discount Special Offer subscription:
36.95€ for 48 Editor’s Weekly News Roundup bulletins!
Please CLICK THE BUTTON to subscribe.
Contact Murcia Today: Editorial 966 260 896 /
Office 968 018 268