WATER TRANSFER MUST GO AHEAD
The President of the Valencia Generalitat, Francisco Camps, has said that the planned water transfer from the Ebro River to the Alicante province must go ahead.
The PP President was in the city to attend the International Technical Conference on Water and Employment, which was held at the IFA centre, next to Alicante Airport. Orihuela Mayor, Monica Lorente, and her government team attended the conference on Saturday along with other Mayors and Councillors from the Vega Baja; an area which will see a huge and positive transformation when the water pipeline does eventually arrive.
More than 2000 people were at the conference on Saturday to hear the key note speakers, some of whom were representing farming and water conservation associations. “Water is very important to the people of this community,” said the President of AMFAR, “The infrastructure for the water transfer is already in place, but the central government seems reluctant to make it happen.” The project to transfer water from the river Ebro in the north of the country to the drier southern provinces was initiated seven years ago and Camps, who last week was officially named as the PP Presidential candidate in the forthcoming elections, commented that finishing the project is a priority for the Valencia Community.
“This is the biggest and most serious situation facing us today,” said the President of the Farmer's Union, “and the reason that the people of this region don't have this essential water supply is purely political.” He added: “Solidarity is what is called for. We must all work together and fight to get this project completed.”
Two million people in the region rely on water to make a living and Princeton University Lecturer, Dr Ignacio Rodriguez, explained why it is essential that the work on the water transfer project is concluded. According to his study, Water, Prosperity and the Environment, there has been a rapid decrease in water table levels over the last decade and he estimates that there is currently a loss of six metres a year in Spain. “Like China and India, Spain has lost hundreds of metres of water from the water table,” said the Doctor. “The situation is severe.” He added: “There is a big difference in the quality of agriculture which has adequate irrigation in comparison to the quality without.” His study shows that 70% of water use is for irrigation, with 20% used industrially. Only 10% of the water we use is for households. “This is a water crisis, it is as simple as that,” commented Dr Rodriguez. “The economic health of this region is reliant on water and what we have is a situation that is not sustainable.”
During his speech, the Doctor compared the Valencia region to the Colorado Valley in the United States of America, where the government spent $2500 million installing 280 miles of water pipe work for the southern half of California. “Farmers in the area are now well supplied with water and as a result, their farms and products are flourishing.” Like California, Spain has 70% of water supply in the north whilst 75% of the water demand is in the south. “It is essential,” concluded the Doctor, “that the River Ebro water transfer project is completed. At the moment, desalination plants only provide 1% of the water we need and the cost to the environment is enormous in comparison to water transfer. The FDR and Hoover dams in the US are inspirational and certainly achievable here in Spain. The employment generated by such a project would be immense. More farmers, more produce and more businesses equal a better economy and ultimately better lives for everyone.”