Iberianature

Asturian coast still wild

In its excellent series on the state of the Spanish coast today El País looks at the coast of Asturias, which thanks to protection, has so far, on the whole, escaped the ravages of tourist development. But 60,000 new homes are planned. Since 1883 it has been illegal to build within 500m of the coastline. El Pais. More on Asturias here

Asturias, Environment, Spanish coast | |

Five years today since the Prestige disaster

Today, the 13th November, is five years since the Prestige disaster. El Pais reminds us that nobody has yet been tried for this.

Some key facts

• The spill is the largest environmental disaster in Spain’s history.
• 64,000 tons of fuel oil were spilled in the incident
• The cost of the clean-up to the Galician coast alone is estimated at €2.5 billion
• The World Wildlife Fund estimated that 300,000 seabirds died. A study published this month (Nov 2007) shows that hydrocarbons are still present in the seabird chicks (El Mundo)
• Seafood industry was halted along much of Galicia’s coast
• WWF warn of the possibility of other “Prestiges” today and notes three oil spills in Spain this year Sierra Nava (Algeciras), Don Pedro (Ibiza) and Samothraki (Gibraltar) WWF

See also “The largest environmental disaster in Spanish history began during a fierce storm off Galicia’s Coast of Death, la Costa da Morte, on 13th November 2002, as the Prestige oil tanker was sailing from Latvia to Gibraltar, to its ultimate destination of Singapore.” (Typically Spanish) + More on the Prestige oil spill (wikipedia)

Environment, Galicia, Spanish coast, Spanish seas | |

Building freeze on Balearic coastline

The Guardian reports today:

“The Balearic islands are to freeze all construction along the most delicate parts of coastlines and around the islands’ capitals, which have been blighted by property developments since mass tourism first arrived in Spain in the 60s. The plan, set to be announced tomorrow, will come into force immediately in an effort to save some of the most beautiful coastlines on the islands of Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca, from further development.” Read on the Guardian

See also “Medio siglo de éxito del turismo de masas y de élite, más el urbanismo salvaje reciente, han dejado su huella de hormigón sobre buena parte del paisaje costero. Pero la mayor parte del perfil insular, de 1.428 kilómetros, no ha sido explotada: está casi intacta, a salvo del desarrollismo que dejó inaccesible, sin uso público, muchas decenas de kilómetros.” Paraíso y caos en la costa balear (El Pais) “

Balearics, Environment, Spanish coast | |

News roundup 1

Here’s a new section with brief descriptions and feeds to news articles which because of time, interest and space I haven’t written about in more detail.

• Latest lynx bulletin with details of all the breeding facilities under construction (Programa ex-situ pdf)
• 500 animals killed in a year along a single road crossing Doñana, including two lynxes (Consumer)
• Bunkering, the refueling of tankers in the Straits of Gibraltar, causing a ”silent” oil slick. (Consumer)
• Invasion of American plant Baccharis halimifolia,a serious threat to Urdaibai wetlands (El Pais)
• Ski project in Sierra Nevada a threat to birdlife (El Pais)
• Cold winter predicted this year (Alfred Picó)
• Castilla y León approves three golf courses in Villanueva de Gómez, Ávila, despite huge environmental impact. 7000 homes planned for village of 143 inhabitants.  (SEO) 

Environment, news briefs | |

Forest fires in Spain at lowest level for ten years

This year’s cool and damp summer in much of Spain has helped to bring forest fires down to their lowest level for 10 years, and 68% less than the 10-year average. August was distinctly cool in Castilla y León, Galicia and Asturias, and there were moderate temperatures in the rest with ample rain. Specifically, 26,951 hectares of “forest” were burnt compared in the first six months of the year compared to 68,673 last year, with the Canaries fire accounting for 77.5%. Perhaps improved fire-fighting measures have helped too. We shall see. More on fire in Spain and its causes

(El Pais)

Environment, Fire | |

Environmental groups slate Las Tablas de Daimiel and Los Humedales de La Mancha

Several environmental groups (Ecologistas en Acción, WWF/Adena, Greenpeace and SEO/BirdLife) have called removal of protection of Las Tablas de Daimiel and Los Humedales de La Mancha faced with the utter failure of protection measures to save this once great Spanish wetland. They note that 60% of the wetlands of the Alto Guadiana have dried out and that the Tablas de Daimiel themselves, once covered 2,000 ha in summer and now down to 26. At clear fault is the Junta de Castilla-La Mancha which with EU money, and to the benefit of a few rich farmers, continues to permit over-use of the area’s aquifers, making it impossible for the wetlands to recover. (El Mundo - but why is this paper always silent, have you noticed, about criticisms of PP-led regions?)

Castilla_La Mancha, Environment, Water, Wetlands | |

Threat of desertification

The United Nations Convention to Fight Desertification is to be held on September 3-4 in Madrid. Desertification threatens 36% of Spain: 2% of Spain suffers from extreme risk of desertification, with 15% having a high risk. Degraded soils cover a further 19%. Worst hit are the Canaries and the south-east,  and to a lesser much of the southern half of the Peninsula, the Ebro basin and southern Catalonia. Although some degradation may be blamed on climate change and natural processes, most areas are the result of fire, overgrazing, aquifer depletion and bad farming practices - human mismanagement. The Spanish government has called on the EU to set up a centre for desertification with its headquarters in Spain. Older material on desertification in Spain here

Map of risk of desertification in Spain (MMA)

Map of aridity in Spain

Environment, Geography, desertification | |

The most polluted sea in the world

The Mediterranean is the most polluted sea in the world according to various studies done by environmental groups. Pollution hotspots around Spain’s coats are unsurprisingly around the ports of Algeciras and Barcelona

El mar más sucio del mundo (El Pais)

Environment, Iberian seas, Spanish Mediterranean, Spanish seas | |