It’s taken four years. 1600 days of watching with concern the state of the reservoirs to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and announce the end of a drought that we do not know, in reality, how long it will take to return.
Now, for the moment, it is time to celebrate that the Generalitat has announced the end of the drought alert in the Ter-Llobregat system, which supplies Barcelona, Girona and their metropolitan areas and, therefore, the most affected by the restrictions.
The rainiest month in history
The most representative image of the evolution and, now, the end of the drought has been that of the Sau reservoir and its church steeple. From being able to walk to the church and beyond at the beginning of the month to now barely being able to see its bell tower (as it had always been). The Sau reservoir is already above 70% of its capacity, just a little above the average of the Catalan reservoirs, which have gone, in just one month, from being at 32% of its capacity to a current 64%.
It has been thanks to an extremely rainy March, the month with more precipitation in 25 years. To give us an idea:in March 2024 the reserves were in a critical state, with 15% of their capacity and the Generalitat feared the loss of water quality due to the stagnation of the reserves.
But this March, the wettest since 1974 (above 2011, which was also the wettest (ahead of 2011, which was also exceptionally rainy), has turned the tables, clearing the drought panorama from the horizon.
Goodbye to restrictions but… goodbye to the alert?
With the end of the alert, the restrictions that were still in force disappear: the reduction of agricultural, livestock and industrial irrigation is over, as well as domestic limitations such as watering gardens or washing the car.
In Barcelona , the ornamental fountains will be turned on again for the first time in more than two years.
However, this is not the end of the concern. The Ter-Llobregat system is now in a pre-alert phase, which means that there are no mandatory restrictions, but there are recommendations for responsible use.
In addition, there are areas that still cannot consider the drought to be completely over. Areas such as the Empordà or municipalities that depend on the Darnius-Boadella reservoir will continue with slight restrictions.
A drought that may return
The punctual end of the drought does not imply a return to water normality, which may never recover with climate change. During 2023 and 2024, the specter of the city running out of water was real, and the Generalitat went so far as to activate the emergency phase, with the harshest restrictions in recent history.
The situation has forced a rethinking of the future of water in Catalonia. The Government has an infrastructure plan in place until 2028 that includes new desalination plants and water regeneration plants so as not to depend solely on rainfall.
For their part, the desalination plants, key during the drought, will continue to operate at almost full capacity to recharge aquifers and guarantee reserves for the future.
For all these reasons, the Generalitat reminds us that the threat of drought is still very much alive and that climate change is not over, so it is urgent to continue planning for a future with less water and being aware of the fragility of our ecosystem.