The characteristics of the plan are to alleviate the drought
and the hydraulic deficiency of the Southeast of the Spanish Peninsula and the
inner river basins of Catalonia. For the Spanish Southeast four possibilities
are discussed in the plan. The best option for the Government would be carry
water from the Ebro river, which an assumed excess capacity of 5,300 hm³. Three
hundred hm³ would be destined to the Valencian Community (river basin of the
Júcar), 430 hm³ to Murcia and 90 hm³ to Almería.
There are three possible options to solve the water
deficiencies of Catalonia in general and Barcelona in particular. One option is
to transfer 180 hm³ from the Lower Ebro taking advantage of existing
infrastructures. Another involves transferring water from the Rhone
river, although it is the most expensive solution. Finally, there is the
possibility of transferring water from the Talarn dam on the River Noguera
Pallaresa to the north of the region.
Banner protest in the Delta town of Poble Nou
The solution supported by the Government is the cheapest one
that obtains all transfers from the Ebro river. This is the option with the
lowest construction costs (about 3,600 million euros) and less environmental
impact when the lack of need to construct new channels or dams is taken into
account. The users who benefit from the transfers will pay 312 million euros per
year, 50 percent will be for infrastructure and the rest for the management and
maintenance works. In order to compensate the environmental lobby groups, the
Government has announced an ecological grant of 0.03 Euros per cubic metre
transferred that will be invested in the environment. If the Ebro transfer
option goes ahead, the Hydrographic Confederation of the Ebro would receive 30
million euros annually as an ecological grant.
There is great social and environmental pressure in the Ebro
basin against any water transfer. Opponents to the Ebro transfer plan claim it
is contrary to the new European Water Framework Directive and the sustainable
development objectives adopted by regions such as California, with similar
climatic and water deficit characteristics. Many environmental and other NGOs,
as well as numerous academics, scientists, unions and political parties are
aiming to stop the project mainly through trying to block the 40% funding from
the European Union.
Ebro River proposed water transfer: simplified map
