“Drought tourists” are coming to see the 11th-century church, which was submerged under water 60 years ago.
advertisementThe sunken church of the Spanish village of Sant Loma de Sau has emerged from the water of a reservoir.
Although it flooded 60 years ago to form the Sau Reservoir, which supplies the city of Barcelona with essential water, normally only the top of the church’s three-story tower protrudes above the ground. Today, the 11th-century building stands firmly on dry land and is beginning to attract “drought tourists.”
“I can’t believe how much the water level has dropped,” said Sergio Ibérico, a frequent visitor to the reservoir.
“I remember paddling here and the water level was as high as the windows of the church tower.”
The current water level in the Sau reservoir is only 6% of its storage capacity. At this time last year it was about 19 percent, but the average in January is typically over 90 percent.
Antonio Rodríguez, who lives near the reservoir, said the low water level made him worried for himself and his family.
“I’m running out of water. I’ve already limited my water use and only use what I need,” he says. “But we’re running out of water.”
The church of Sant Roma de Sau is just one symbol of the wider city. drought emergency What the country is facing.
Drought causes water and food prices to soar
The regions of Spain most affected by the prolonged drought are Andalusia and Catalonia, both important agricultural and food-producing regions.
Catalonia has been in a drought for three years, and currently only 17% of the region’s water supply remains. If this figure drops to 16%, the Catalan government will have to declare. emergency and imposing stricter limits on household water usage.
Water rates are already rising and agricultural water use is being restricted. Water is no longer supplied to the park, fountains have dried up, and private pools are no longer allowed to be filled with water.
Some gyms in the area have started charging extra fees to use their pools, and some have closed permanently.
The effects of the drought are also reflected in increased prices for fruits, vegetables and olive oil nationwide. olive oil price Notably, it increased by more than 50 percent compared to last year, reaching an all-time high. Many stores in Spain have started putting security tags on bottles.
Can desalination solve Spain’s drought problem?
Barcelona too Home to Europe’s largest desalination plant It produces fresh water from the nearby Mediterranean Sea.
Laia Hernandez Lloret, a spokeswoman for the plant, said that without the plant, severe water restrictions and a state of emergency would have been imposed in the region at least six months ago. Millions of tourists and Barcelona residents will lack sufficient water.
“From 100 liters of seawater we get 45 liters of fresh water. Currently, this desalination plant produces about 20 percent of the fresh water that Barcelona needs,” says Carlos Miguel, director of the Lobregat plant. .
However, Miguel added that it is currently operating at full capacity and cannot desalinate any more water.
convert seawater to freshwater It is unlikely that this alone will solve Spain’s drought problem. It’s too slow, expensive, and consumes a lot of energy. Unless that energy comes from renewable sources, the pollution caused by desalination will also accelerate climate change, contributing to water scarcity.
advertisementAs problems persist, Spain plans to build two new desalination plants in the worst-hit regions of Andalusia and Catalonia.