It is likely that the day that begins the electoral campaign of the municipal and regional elections was not the most successful to gather in an extraordinary way the Minister council and announce measures aimed at mitigating the effects of the drought suffered by the country. The package approved by the Executive presents a balanced distribution for the territories and sectors most affected by water scarcity, but the measures arrive late. The swamps do not empty or fill up in a couple of weeks, and many months ago the meteorologists showed us the unstoppable drop in their level while predicting skies that were not conducive to rain. Consequently, the opposition’s criticism of the chosen date is difficult to refute. The measures adopted include: aid to the primary sector, fiscal and liquidity support measures, facilitating aid from the Common Agricultural Policy, investments aimed at improving water management and its reuse, support for irrigators, the creation of new infrastructure, as well as the protection of workers affected by high temperatures. It remains to be seen whether all these actions will be able to mitigate the damage of the water crisis in the short or medium term, but what is certain is that a problem of this magnitude will require a greater commitment in the future.
The decree is accompanied by a budget of 784 million euros from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and others 1,400 million from the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge. The Administration now has the challenge of ensuring that these funds reach their recipients in the shortest possible time, since many crops have already been irremediably damaged by the drought and the farmers need help to be able to face the next season. Collaboration between the central administration and the regional administrations concerned constitutes another challenge. Particularly in the cases in which it has been announced that the State assumes works of general interest that corresponded, in principle, to the autonomous communities, such as the construction of desalination plants in Málaga, Almería and Catalonia.
From a broader perspective, it is worth listening to those who argue that the drought suffered by Spain and the other southern European countries is the result of a climate change which requires much larger actions. Despite the announced measures and others aimed at avoiding losses that occur in the channeling of drinking water and promoting a culture of sustainability, Mediterranean countries are facing a future in which water will be an increasingly scarce resource. As has been verified in the case of Doñana, this will cause difficult-to-solve conflicts between the general interest and private interests. Technology can provide solutions, but it is not certain that it will allow the existing agricultural model to be maintained in Spain. Politicians and institutions must address as soon as possible, and without an electoral spirit, the fundamental question of the compatibility of our current agricultural model with the foreseeable consequences that climate change will have for our country.