The last seven days of May The Catalan state government has lifted the state of emergency due to droughtWhich led to the imposition of numerous restrictions throughout the region. The announcement arrived five days before Catalonia’s parliamentary elections on May 12, an election that would mean an almost unprecedented downfall for the government party, Esquerra Republica de Catalunya. The decision of the Catalan executive sparked a wave of criticism from environmental experts and organizations. They accuse the Pere Aragones government of making a hasty decision To save the tourist season, they see electoral reasons and criticize him for his public improvisation in drought-dealing measures.
As of May 19, Catalonia’s inland reservoir capacity stood at 26.66%, a figure very similar to last year. For Eli Fores, of Ecologists in Action, the decision to lift the state of emergency means confirmation “Frustration” on the part of the government that “seems to not know what to do”. In the same line, Dantés Macchio, in his book Water is Life, points out this “Coming out of the drought emergency sends a message that we are not so bad anymore.” It also criticizes the Republican government because it considers that “it has not implemented policies to contain and reduce demand.”
The tourist season and elections are coming
In recent years, Catalonia has significantly boosted tourism throughout the Catalan territory and May is considered the previous month with the greatest tourist activity, a fact that puts a fly behind the ears of environmentalists who criticize the lifting of the drought emergency coinciding with this time of year. Mascio explains that The criticism directed at Aigua És Vida comes, above all, because “we are on the cusp of a new tourist season that will join the second irrigation campaign,” a meeting of water needs that he described as “dangerous.” A spokesman for the Environment Organization points out this “Meteorologists give a normal forecast for summer rainfall, neither surplus nor deficit“, which he compares to last summer, when there were “two spells of rain and then the reserves decreased.” That is why he described the action taken by the government now as “a short-term decision to ensure the summer tourism season.”
Voris shares much of Maschio’s vision, pointing out that “There will come a time when this country, Catalonia, will consider the service sector to be the economic engine of the country and more important than anything else to secure jobs.He criticizes, saying: “We always said that citizens carried out their duties, and that they increased the efficiency of water consumption, and this is a reality.” The environmentalist points out that industry has also done its bit, but the service sector seems to have a free hand and is justified because it generates wealth in the country. Macchio continues the criticism and asserts that “the government is betting on increasing the monoculture of tourism.”
Dante Macchio confirms that lifting the drought emergency was an “electoral decision”Because “in the election debate on TV3, the acting state president emphasized the fact that he had emerged from the state of emergency.” Eli Voris remembers what happened a few years ago: “In the first moments of the drought, much earlier, different political parties vied for representatives in the Ebro lands, and it was not known who was most opposed to deportation.”There have always been political decisions regarding the management of water resources according to technical standards.”
Politics played a major role, Mascio remembers. According to the representative of Aigua És Vida, “Last year in Parliament, thanks to the Junts or PSC, the Drought Law was approved with an amendment to the extraordinary phase in which a decree was issued canceling the swimming pools that were enabled as type 3A which are hotels and tourist camps can be filled from scratch. Therefore, Adds to these criticisms It is considered an “absurd” measure to consider municipal swimming pools with a beach as climate refuges. He also lamented that with a drought schedule “you never know when it’s going to come together nor the conclusions.” “It gives the impression that the government is ignorant or in service of electoral needs,” he adds.
What has been done and what needs to be done?
Government work is always subject to criticism. Elie Voris criticizes the government because, in his view, “Incoherent and contradictory decisions were made.” “We get a little rain and they lift the drought emergency, but we are in the same situation where we don’t have enough water to achieve the uses we want.”Confirms. For his part, Maschio criticized the government’s actions because he believed it “did a lot of work with the drought and built infrastructure for the plaintiffs, but did not comply with the restrictions.” In fact, the environmental expert warns against it “Relaxing the few restrictions we have imposed is dangerous, as managers of public water companies have discovered excessive consumption, possibly linked to the relaxation of the public.” “We were already out of a bad business and inspection and oversight have proven to be a good measure at a time when consumptions are being published and the Anti-Corruption Authority is applying penalties,” Maschio warns.
From environmental scientists at Acció, Eli Fores is betting on a new way to improve water resources in Catalonia, because he emphasizes that “demand is managed, not resources.” It is claimed that, “If in a certain place there cannot be a certain installation because there is not enough water, it cannot be put there. “We have to adapt to the climate change situation in the country, we have to spend the resources we have, and if there are sectors that are damaged, we may “You have to go elsewhere.”he’s referring to.
Voris explains What to do is “adapt the way you produce, and put your sources of income where you have the resource, not take the resource where the demand is.”He stresses that “we have an unbalanced country, and we have not emerged from any period of drought, and we must use the resource based on what we have.”
“Prone to fits of apathy. Introvert. Award-winning internet evangelist. Extreme beer expert.”
