In a meeting of the Plataforma por las Infraestructuras de la Costa Tropical yesterday, it was agreed to request the status of Disaster Zone for Almuñécar because of the lack of water.
The request will be sent to the Delegación del Gobierno de La Junta de Andalucía (provincial representative of the regional government) and the Subdelegación del Gobierno (provincial representative of the Central Government).
The subtropical-fruit sector (one of the key ‘motors’ behind the local economy) is suffering both because of the drought with the consequence of sea water entering the irrigation wells, and because even though decades have passed since Rules Reservoir was completed, there is still no water-distribution infrastructure in place.
According to the P.I.C.T., 2,000 families in sector are affected, which is equivalent to 70% of the subtropical-fruit sector of Almuñécar. Put another way, that over 3,000 hectares of irrigated land or 50% of the jobs that the sector generates each season.
For this reason, the Plataforma por las Infraestructuras de La Costa Tropical considers that realistic and serious measures have to be taken in order to solve the problems in the short, medium and long terms
The 2023 National Budget pleased few as it only earmarks 800,000 euros for irrigation problems in Granada (i.e., Rules) and not a penny towards the coastal-defence deficit, nor a Granada-Motril rail link, which is a necessity backed by all political groups, the local business sector and a viability study carried out by the University of Granada.
Editorial comment: one of the much needed measures that needs to be urgently implemented… is to stop clearing land for yet more, water-thirsty crops.
(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)
Money changing hands. Greed.!!
I moved from the UK to get away from that. Only to find it entrenched here as a part of life. Perhaps living in a dictatorship has something to do with that way of life. !?
Ben:.
There is a big agricultural conglomerate up there in dem hills above La H and Almunecar. They put up big fences and have nasty security people constantly guarding and patroling the fenced off perimeter of the scraped off land, inside of which are large irrigation pools. Very suspicious…..what are they hiding there is nothing really bearing fruit but just newly planted sapplings or bare land? Seems odd to be be so vigilante and protective, unless of course they are doing something illegal
Patrick: It’s my keyboard; the space bar doesn’t work…
Martin. I wish you wouldn’t use big words. Just small one I can understand. K.I.S.S. 😊
We have a finca in the Rio Jate where we usually have enough water but this year there is none and the trees are dying. Every finca has a set amount of water they’re entitled to etc, but the issue is that people further upstream are stealing the water. If you walk into the hills above, there are massive water tanks which have been built in the last couple of years. The enviroment agency don’t seem to be doing anything about these / I’ve heard there is money changing hands etc. So the larger land owners are basically ruining the land and livelihoods of those smaller holdings fucther downstream.
Shall we define disaster? Is it climate change, poor government or greed? I seem to remember last year when a land owner with the permission of local officials to clear a pine forest above La Herradura, next to Cerro Gordo Park, so the owner could plant tropical fruits. It was ok for a homeowner to scrape and clear the pine trees afterall they were his/her trees and land. Take a look at the scared, desolate, scraped disgusting landscape above La Herradura….maybe an environmental impact study was done first before officials approved such a disastorous eyesore dont you think?
California here we come!
I think it’s usually best to tackle the biggest problems first. A 10% reduction on highest user of water means far more than 10% reduction on lightest user (probably more than 100% reduction on lightest user). Water hungry crops in a semi arid environment? Nope. Grow drought resistant crops which need less water. Time to change…..
Patrick: you’re right but the fact is that domestic, water use is a small part of the total figure, despite private pools, etc. Agriculture consumes much, much more, but even this is dwarfed by the consumption by industry: it takes about 2,700 litres of water to make just one t-shirt; enough drinking water to last you 900 days or just under two and a half years.
Yes, if you take a deeper look at domestic water consumption, it is total madness that we flush our toilets with drinking-grade water (with all the chemical and processing needed to make it drinkable).
The problem, though, in the larger picture, is not so much that we flush our toilets with drinking water but our unsustainably wasteful consumerism in this throw-away age.
Shutting the stable door yet again. !!
I know it’s only a small amount of water. But why on earth still allow showers at the beaches. How do you stop people washing the front of house pavement area, cars. Filling pools. Gardening on a small scale. As I might with my watering can . ?? If they cannot after ages sort out this issue. Do not hold your breath on any Motril/Granada rail lines.!!