Spain facing water scarcity and initiating measures to conserve water
Friday, July 21, 2023
Drought-hit tourist resorts in Spain, including Lloret de Mar, are facing water scarcity and are taking measures to conserve water and become more sustainable. Spain’s tourism sector, which accounts for 12% of its economic output and millions of jobs, is under growing pressure to reduce its environmental impact amid the country’s climate crisis.
Due to low rainfall, reservoirs in Catalonia, where Lloret de Mar is located, are at just 29% of their capacity. To manage the situation, large areas of the region have limited water usage for agriculture and industry since March, and now even beach showers have been removed in Lloret de Mar.
The tourism industry in Spain, being the world’s second-most visited country, is a significant water consumer, with tourists in upscale hotels consuming more than double the amount of water used by the average resident. To tackle this issue, Catalonia’s regional government aims to achieve equal water consumption between tourists and locals by 2040.
Several initiatives are being adopted to conserve water. The Hotel Samba, for example, has implemented a wastewater recycling system, saving 215 million liters of water since 1997. Municipalities like Lloret are also using recycled wastewater for irrigation purposes, and even Water World aquatic park has managed to reduce its water usage by 32% through various conservation measures.
Experts and local groups advocate for a more sustainable tourism model, considering the limited water resources and the need to strike a balance between tourism growth and resource conservation. With the impacts of the climate crisis becoming more apparent, Spain is urged to transform its approach to water usage and embrace more eco-friendly practices.