thanks to the rain of recent weeks, the authorities of Catalonia lift the state of emergency after three years of drought

The rain, sometimes abundant, in recent weeks has brought colors back to nature in the region. But the authorities nevertheless urge caution, especially before summer.

Abundant rains, green lawns and public gardens in bloom… Barcelona has changed its appearance in just a few days. In Spain, three years later, Catalonia is finally turning its back on a historic drought. It has been raining for several weeks and so much so that the authorities have lifted the state of emergency.

In February 2024, Catalan authorities declared a state of emergency for six million people, most of them in Barcelona and its metropolitan belt, due to the historic drought facing this northeastern region of the country. Spain for three years. The entry into the first phase of this state of emergency, which includes three, led to a strengthening of restrictions on the use of water, in particular for agriculture and industry.

However, in the space of two months, the level of the water reservoirs which supply the region has increased by 14 to 40% thanks to the rains which have fallen in recent weeks in Catalonia. Result: all or almost all restrictions are lifted. Farmers can water, hotels and campsites have the right to fill their swimming pools. But we must remain vigilant, warns David Mascort, responsible for the environment in Catalonia: “Now we have more water than before, but we must continue to act as we have done in recent months, with responsible behavior.”he pleads.

This water and this rebirth of nature are a relief for Carmina Lopez, met in front of her painting studio in downtown Barcelona: “We are very happy: It’s truly a marvel. I really like green. I really like nature. It was scary because everything was tooc”, she confides. Before specifying that the drought has also changed the habits of the inhabitants and especially the youngest: “I teach young children and they explain to me that now they don’t take a shower every day, for example. They wash, but don’t shower every day“, specifies Carmina.

Finally, Barcelona will not bring in water by boat and therefore will not cut off tap water this summer. On the other hand, investments to build new seawater desalination plants remain relevant, to anticipate future droughts, particularly on the Costa Brava, a tourist area among the most affected by the lack of water and where several municipalities are still in a state of emergency.