Spain: A Path from Tourism to Desertification

In Spain, nearly 70% of its freshwater is used first, for agriculture and tourism. And, like many countries, much of the water used in agriculture is improperly applied - that is, it is wasted. The water situation is just as bad in the neighboring countries of France and Italy.

A heatwave in Europe in 2006 had a dramatic effect on Europe's water resources. A TerraDaily article (04/2008) Severe Spanish Drought Sparks Regional Fights Over Water provides a closer view of this problem.

Like virtually every dryland region around the world, there will continue to be a struggle between natural cycles of rainfall and human needs. Spain is simply another example in the increasingly dryer region of Southern Europe.

Is this region really any different than the story of Lake Elementaita in Kenya: A Lake Lies on Its Deathbed?

One additional factor is at play in Spain as well as along the coastal areas of these Mediterranean countries (and Kenya): tourism. Reading the following article will explain why. Climate Change in Spain: Desertification (Euranet: 01/2009) states emphatically that "Spain has more to fear than most. Desertification is threatening the center of the country. However, the coasts will not be spared - in particular, due to over-exploitation from tourism."

I have heard this comment more than a few times from EU members from Spain. Spain consumes a lot of water, especially by the many tourists who migrate to the southern beaches from the colder regions of Great Britain, Scandinavia and Germany.