One of Europe's most important wetland areas for migratory birds, the Doñana National Park in southwestern Spain is threatened with drying up by surrounding berry plantations. The regional government's proposal to expand irrigation has led to an infected conflict at EU level.
In southwestern Spain, in Andalusia near the border with Portugal, is the Doñana National Park, one of Europe's largest wetlands and considered one of Spain's and Europe's most important areas for biodiversity. It is protected by EU laws.
The area is located on the delta of the Guadalquivir River and consists of shallow lagoons and streams, wetlands and sand dunes. Nature has made it a crucial resting place for migratory birds. Hundreds of thousands stop here every year, some even nest here.
The area is unique and since 1994 has been classified as world heritage by Unesco.
At this time, Doñana should be rich in water, but instead the national park is almost completely dry.
Satellite images from the EU's climate service Copernicus show how the drought has affected southern Spain, where the Doñana National Park is located.
Satellite images from the EU's climate service Copernicus show how the drought has affected southern Spain, where the Doñana National Park is located. Photo: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery
It is partly related to climate change and several years of drought and high temperatures. This year, record heat has already hit Spain and Portugal. But a big reason why the area is drained is the surrounding large plantations of strawberries and other berries. The intensive berry cultivation requires a lot of water and has long posed an increasing threat to nature in Doñana.
The drought in the area is severe. According to the latest data, over half, 60 percent, of the lagoons have not been filled since 2013.
The berry cultivation turns over a lot of money, more than 90 percent of all strawberries grown in Spain come from here and are exported to shops all over Europe, including Sweden.
Ahead of the municipal elections that take place at the end of May, the regional government of Andalusia, under the leadership of the right-wing Partido Popular, has come out with an election promise to allow increased irrigation for the crops with a new law.
The promise has led to conflict with both the Spanish national government in Madrid and the European Commission. They have notified the regional government that Doñana is an internationally protected area and to risk the area's natural values by extracting more water would violate EU rules.
Two years ago, the European Court of Justice condemned Spain for failing to protect the nature reserve. The increased withdrawal of water that had already taken place at that time was a violation of EU rules. Unesco has previously said that Doñana's status as a world heritage site may be under threat.
Legally, 8,000 hectares are set aside for the cultivation of strawberries and other fruit, but according to the WWF, another 1,500-2,000 hectares are irrigated by hundreds of illegally dug wells. According to the bill, such wells must become legal.
Now making it legal to withdraw even more water for artificial irrigation is considered to violate both the EU's water directive and the EU's species and habitat directive, which is supposed to counteract the loss of biological diversity.