Water crisis in Spain: Leaving the beach showers ensures protests!

Water crisis in Spain: Leaving the beach showers ensures protests!

Spain faces a major challenge in dealing with water shortages, especially due to the massive tourism volume. Last year, the country recorded around 94 million tourists, which led to increasing living costs, scarce living space and considerable pressure on the water resources. The Spanish Organization for Environmental Education and Consumer Protection (ADEAC) is now planning to take measures against increased water consumption by tourists. A controversial concern is to check the abolition of public showers on beaches, a measure that could potentially reduce water consumption.

The situation is further exacerbated by persistent drought and lack of precipitation. The emergency was already proclaimed in Catalonia in order to take urgently needed measures to protect the water resources. In the high season in particular, the tourism sector contributes significantly to the water consumption. In Mallorca, a single vacationer consumes between 250 and 450 liters of water every day, while all of the tourism is about a quarter of the total consumption. Although it is predicted for 2025 that there is enough water, ADEAC sees a need for action for the future.

protests and pilot projects

The situation in the Canary Islands is tense because there were already protests that sometimes escalated violently, especially in Tenerife. In order to counteract the increasing pressure, a pilot project in Sanxenxo (Galicia) has shown that avoiding beach shower can actually reduce water consumption. The changeover to Sanxenxo was uncomplicated and was largely accepted by the population. This could serve as an example for other regions to take similar steps.

Development in Spain reflects a greater challenge that can be observed throughout the Mediterranean. According to the WWF, the Mediterranean is the most sought -after holiday destination worldwide and is frequented annually by 220 to 320 million visitors. Forecasts of the UNWO expect that this number could double to 655 million by 2025. Uncontrolled tourism is a significant danger to the sensitive ecosystems and freshwater resources in the region, which also reinforces the pressure on areas that have already been endangered.

The call for sustainable tourism

The WWF emphasizes that the mass influx of tourists is insufficiently accompanied by protective measures. The flows of visitors themselves also damage sensitive coastal regions. It is required to establish cross -border protective measures and to promote near -natural tourism. Ten endangered sea areas in the Mediterranean need new protected areas and adjustments in coastal management, including the Balearic Islands, where tourism has a significant impact on the environment.

The WWF has set itself the goal of protecting the nature of the Mediterranean from the negative effects of mass tourism and promoting responsibility tourism. Various field projects are initiated for this purpose, which focus on maintaining biodiversity and sustainable fishing. While the challenges for nature in the Mediterranean arise, it will be necessary to find effective solutions in Spain and in other countries of the Mediterranean area to combat the water shortage and to preserve the environment.