New Look Spanish Water Policy Unveiled

MADRID, Spain, May 18, 2004 (ENS) - Spain's Environment Ministry has explained how it intends to replace the recently defeated conservative government's controversial plans to transfer water from the Ebro River to satisfy rising demand on Spain's dry Mediterranean coast.

Under proposals presented to the European Commission on Friday, 20 seawater desalination plants will provide an extra 721 cubic hectometres of water to affected regions.

Large scale north-south transfers have been ruled out, but one and possibly two smaller pipelines in Spain's southeastern corner will proceed.

Spain's new Environment Minister Cristina Narbona (Photo courtesy Fusion)

Environment Minister Cristina Narbona expressed confidence that, in contrast to the previous plans, "there would be no problem" with European Union financing for the proposed projects because "their focus is different and much more in keeping with European guidelines."

She also maintains that desalination will mean lower energy requirements and associated greenhouse gas emissions than large scale transfers of an equivalent amount of water would have done.

The environmental group Ecologists in Action gave the plan a qualified welcome. It described desalination as "a much lesser evil than transfer," but continues to demand greater emphasis on water demand management rather than expanding supply.

Environment Minister Narbona is one of the many women in the cabinet of Spain's new Socialist leader Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who has made female empowerment a top priority. Half of the 16 ministers sworn in as members of Zapatero's cabinet are women.

{Published in cooperation with ENDS Environment Daily, Europe's choice for environmental news. Environmental Data Services Ltd, London. Email: envdaily@ends.co.uk}