by Mosquitoes buzz around the researchers near the banks of the Ebro River and they flood the fields and take readings.
The smell of sweat mixes with a repulsive bug in the moisture and the team testing water saving strategies in the flooded fields at the Institute for Research and Technology of Agri-Food (IRTA) near Amposta.
The Ebro is the second longest river in Spain – winding through the north of the country before entering the Mediterranean Sea along the Catalan coast, 200km south of Barcelona.
Here it is one of the largest wetlands in Western Europe: the Ebro River Delta. It is not only a habitat for thousands of species but also serves as a source hydroelectricityecotourism and – most important from an economic point of view – rice cultivation.
Drought in Spain, and especially in Catalonia, the Ebro Delta is suffering. Due to the scarcity of water there is a 50 percent reduction in the area available for irrigating crops.
All factions of the wetlands community – including farmers, hunters, environmentalists – and the Catalan government have to cooperate and adapt as a result.
“We have to maintain a balance,” says Maria del Mar Catala, an IRTA researcher who has worked in the Delta for the past 35 years, to Euronews Green.
“The mindset of farmers is changing, they are adapting. 15 years ago, nobody wanted to talk about reducing water, now it’s something that’s happening.”
Why rice is important to Spain
After Italy, Spain is the best producer of it rice in Europe, which represents 30 percent of total EU production. The region that produces the most rice was the southern part of the country of Andalusia, but it moves inwards climate after changing that.
In Andalusia Seville region, the planted area for rice decreased by 53 percent in 2021, 69 percent in 2022, and 96 percent in 2023 compared to the average output of the previous years, which means that the rice-producing region does not top once almost anything. This puts more pressure on other rice-growing areas like the Ebro Delta to continue production, raising the threat to the wetland ecosystem.
“Rice is the most economical commodity in the delta; more stress on rice production in Catalonia therefore means more on the environment,” says IRTA researcher Nestor Perez Mendez. He speaks as an environmentalist, but also as someone who knows that the economic viability of the delta is valuable to government and businesses.
The delta is in a position unimaginable a decade ago as drought has reduced water flow, reducing the sediment deposition needed to maintain the delta’s elevation. sea level. But the Spanish wetland is a case study for the rest of Europe, showing how commercial and environmental interests can work together in the face of increasingly extreme weather.
Man in the middle of the swamps
Funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, the IRTA is conducting research to prepare for this future while uniting the different factions of the delta.
“Every farmer knows that I protect their interest, and I try to create synergy between farmers and environmental interests,” says Maria. “All my life I have worked with them, I need them, and I need them. The farmers will adapt, they have to.”
The drought i Catalonia caused by water restrictions in the city and in the countryside, and a 50 percent reduction in water use for agriculture. This makes the flooded conditions that rice needs to grow more difficult to achieve.
While providing technical advice to government and farmers, IRTA researchers run experiments in their wetland facility. These tests include leaving the rice fields unflooded for certain periods, or flooding and draining the rice fields throughout the growing season. All methods are expected to reduce dependence on mass flood and save water in future droughts.
It takes some time to make progress, but the research done today will provide the region with a better adaptation to a changing climate in the future. “If people don’t study this, there won’t be a range of alternatives when the moment comes,” says Chilean researcher Seba Leonardo.
Delicate delta, great climate
A worsening drought is not the only concern for locals.
“This year the drought with the controlled water, and the rise of the sea level. It may not be 10 or 20 years but it is very close. It will be difficult to grow rice here,” says the rice farmer, Lluis Jornet.
Storms in previous years were almost as worrisome as the drought. As the Ebro meets the Mediterranean, sea water it can pass over the flooded fields and it can salt the soil. This makes life more difficult fresh water species and rice growers.
“The unpredictability of the climate is increasing,” Nestor explains. “We can adapt to less water, and provide alternatives to deal with water scarcity. The problem is that this year may be dry and next year may be wet and rainy; the Ebro Delta is vulnerable to both.
“For me the worst problems are the unpredictability of the climate so we can’t plan a reliable long-term strategy.”
A framework for the future
Technology can help us in a world plagued by extreme weather, but not right away. The IRTA institute is an example of appropriate and long-term research, which lays the foundation for vital adaptations.
Spain is at the forefront of climate change in Europe, with 75 percent of its land fighting against potential climate conditions. desertsaccording to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
Other European nations will be looking at how Spain’s environmental and agricultural communities work together to help each other at the local level.
Because of the increased pressure that climate change will put on parts further north of the continent, the lessons of the delta must be heeded, before the climate catches us unprepared.
