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Date Published: 14/08/2024

Region of Murcia declares extraordinary drought, imposing severe irrigation cuts

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The Segura basin area has been placed under an extraordinary drought situation again, which mainly affects farmers’ ability to water their crops

Region of Murcia declares extraordinary drought, imposing severe irrigation cuts

The Region of Murcia is facing a water crisis as the heart of the Segura basin enters an extraordinary drought, according to the Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura (CHS), who announced significant reductions in water allocations for irrigation, which could impact up to 50% of the supply for traditional irrigators.

This development is a response to ongoing non-compliance with water-saving measures and a worrying decline in water reserves, notwithstanding the heavy rains forecast for this week.

The Segura River, which serves as a lifeline for the Region, has been severely affected by prolonged drought conditions, leading to a dangerous depletion of the basin’s resources. The CHS has activated the Permanent Drought Commission to address this critical situation.

According to Mario Urrea, the president of the CHS, the situation has become increasingly alarming due to a faster-than-expected depletion of reservoirs, resulting in an overconsumption of approximately 40 cubic hectometres since the beginning of the hydrological year.

The CHS had already placed the basin’s resources on alert two months ago. However, the lack of adequate rainfall, coupled with the persistent drought, has forced the organisation to impose stricter measures.

Irrigation communities that rely on the Segura’s resources are now facing cuts of between 30% and 50% for traditional irrigators, while non-traditional irrigators will see a reduction of up to 35%. These measures are set to remain in effect until the end of 2024, unless there is a significant improvement in rainfall during the autumn.

Urrea emphasised that the decision to impose further cuts was inevitable, given the ongoing non-compliance by certain ‘irrigation communities’. The failure to adhere to previous restrictions has resulted in excessive water usage, particularly in the Vega Alta part of Murcia.

This overconsumption threatens to bring the reservoirs to a critically low level of just 40 cubic hectometres by September, well below the safe capacity of 60 cubic hectometres that the CHS aims to maintain.

In response to the worsening drought, the CHS has announced that it will also reactivate the drought wells in the Calasparra Syncline. These wells, which can extract approximately 31 cubic hectometres annually from the aquifer, were previously shut down when conditions slightly improved earlier this year. However, with the drought persisting, the wells will once again be put into operation to supplement the dwindling water supply.

Despite the severe water restrictions, the CHS has assured the public that the water supply for human consumption is not currently at risk. The drought wells in Albacete, reserved for the Mancomunidad de los Canales del Taibilla, will not be activated at this time. However, the CHS is awaiting environmental approval from the Ministry for Ecological Transition to activate other wells, a process that has faced delays.

Water from reservoirs and the Segura river are just one source of this precious resource for Murcia, which also uses more desalination plants than any other autonomous community in Spain to provide fresh water, which has historically helped the Region to avoid the worst of the water restrictions that afflict other communities like Catalonia and Andalucía.

The regional government of Murcia has expressed concern over the impact of the water cuts on farmers and ranchers, urging the CHS to improve its water planning to minimise damage. The Community has criticised delays in the preparation of drought wells and has called for the Drought Commission to reconvene within a month to reassess the situation.

Environmental groups, such as Ecologists in Action, have voiced opposition to the reactivation of the Calasparra Syncline wells, arguing that the aquifer should be preserved as a strategic reserve for human consumption in emergency situations. They warn that excessive extraction could lead to environmental damage along the Segura River and impact the traditional irrigation network.

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