Spain will be the country that of the EU that greater problems of water scarcity suffers as a consequence of climate change. The one who has to face one more situation “dramatic“, according to the OECD in the document Policies for the future of agriculture and food in Spain which publishes this Wednesday. The body points it out so clearly and directly but, in addition, throughout the report there are continuous references to the problem that Spain will suffer. And since the lack of water is going to be a key element for agriculture.
“Water availability problems will only worsen with climate change“, advances the report. “A simulation in a 2 °C warming scenario that included climate change, land use change and changes in water demand for 2026-55, estimated that Spain would have the highest decrease in groundwater recharge and the most dramatic situation of water scarcity in the European Union,” the document states.
More. “The OECD has identified Spain as the EU Member State facing a higher proportion of severe water hazards in the future, and the sixth among the members of the OECD”, he points out at another time.
And yet another warning. “Water management is one of the main environmental challenges for Spain, since the agri-food sector represents more than 80% of water use. The pressures on water are aggravated by the overexploitation in some regionsthe illegal pumping of groundwater and the lower availability due to droughts,” he adds.
The increase in temperatures as a result of global warming will also cause changes in crops, with more tropical fruits, and the possible loss of vineyards. “The increase in temperatures and the reduction of frosts can increase the production of some crops or turn some areas into optimal land for the cultivation of tropical fruitsbut other areas [especialmente en el sureste] they will not be able to continue cultivating as before,” explains the organization headed by Mathias Cormann.