The reservoirs in the Guadalquivir River basin have received 60% less water this year, and the hydrological year has registered 20% less rainfall than the previous year, according to Joaquín Páez, the president of the Guadalquivir River Basin Authority (CHG), who provided details on Friday.
During his visit to the boreholes for groundwater extraction in the town of Cala (Huelva), Páez stated that "we are in a very difficult, complex, and complicated situation, after a very bad year last year."
"Unfortunately, irrigated agriculture is going to be the hardest hit by this situation. The Water Commission has very bad data with a reduction in allocations of up to 80% in the maximum allocations," he said, adding that "our irrigators are committed, we speak clearly to them, and we work together to resist and mitigate the effects of drought as best we can."
Páez noted that the drought situation was declared on November 2, 2019, and "we continue to work from the CHG, first by sweeping all possibilities to ensure that there are no problems with human water supply in our area, while waiting for rain in April."
He further explained that five emergency projects have been almost completed in Andalusia, four in Cordoba where the water supply situation was very difficult, and one in Granada so "citizens can now breathe easily, they no longer depend as much on rainfall to ensure consumption."
In addition to these projects, Páez revealed that other problems have been identified and "this year we will present some emergency water supply and irrigation projects to ensure that citizens can resist the effects of drought as best as possible if it continues."