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Global warming rattles Spain
14/Sep/2006: Forest fires burning out of control, prolonged droughts wrecking agriculture, rising seas inundating beaches, floods causing chaos inland, deadly tropical diseases crossing over from Africa – these are not scenes from a science fiction movie, rather these are the realities that Spain is facing right now. Global warming has started to rattle this arid country already, forcing the government to re-orientate their policies on environment at a frantic pace.
Sea level in Spain is rising 2.5 millimeters every year and is expected to rise over 15 meters by 2050, inundating the beaches that attract 50 million visitors every year and decimating the tourism industry, which happens to be one of the biggest industries in this country. Forest fires that have already destroyed huge areas of arid vegetation this year will continue to pose a larger threat in the years to come and many cities will remain at the mercy of these devastating fires.
Temperatures are soaring in summer with many regions recording more than 40 degree centigrade this year, well above the average temperature for this period of the year. The warmer season is lasting 23 days more than it is used to, a decade ago, melting the snow in Pyrenees Mountains. Many tropical birds like ‘Trumpeter Finch’ have started to nest in Spain and water levels in reservoirs are plummeting this year, affecting water supplies to farmers, who fear a sharp fall in agricultural production.
All these things are making scientists in Spain acknowledge the fact that this part of the Mediterranean is the hardest hit by climate change. With more than 60% of the country affected by desertification, the government has finally began to act, to minimize the devastating effects of global warming, by building desalination plants to guarantee water supplies and enforcing strict laws to prevent constructions near sea shores. The government is also planning to cut subsidies to the agriculture sector, which consumes 75% of this country’s water.
Environmentalists feel that the steps taken by the government may not be sufficient to tackle global warming and only optimization of the usage of resources and using renewable sources of energy and energy conservation can offer a real solution to the problems faced by Spain.
Kesavan Siva
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