Spain: Fight for the Ebro Delta
In the Ebro Delta, the government wants to buy large areas of land — as a natural buffer zone for expected sea level rise. The plan has prompted strong opposition from the local population.
Unprotected fields
As rising sea levels are threatening to engulf low-lying coastal areas, the Spanish government plans to buy 832 hectares (2,056 acres) of private land in the Ebro Delta. This would expand a publicly owned buffer zone along the coast by up to 560 meters (1,840 feet) inland, where nature could run its course. The region is known as Catalonia's rice cultivation capital.
Surrounded by the sea
The restaurant Vascos in the region on the northeast coast of Spain is surrounded by water. If a storm were to hit the region, owners Marcela and Maria Cinta Otamendi would have to make sure that their business had not been swallowed by the Mediterranean Sea. This fear has deepened in recent years, as climate change has made severe storms more frequent.
70% of delta is threatened
At least one beach will have disappeared by 2060, the government predicts. The Ebro Delta is shrinking due to coastal erosion, rising sea levels and more frequent and intense storms as a result of climate change. Without action, it's presumed that 70% of the area would be flooded by 2100. During Storm Gloria in 2020, numerous houses and fields already went under water.
Locals reject proposal
"Vergonya," which means "shame" in Catalonian, is written on a seawall. Local farmers and residents largely disapporve of the government's plans. Some 62,000 people live in the region, and lucrative rice fields account for around 65% of the area that the government wants to buy.
Levees could buy some time
Local residents want the government to try to preserve their land instead of leaving it over to the sea — for example, by building levees. At least 6 million cubic meters (219 million cubic feet) of sand would have to be brought in to guarantee the survival of the beaches for the next 50 years. The cost of this would amount to around €30 million ($35 million).
Local corporations fear for their existence
Storm Gloria flooded around 3,000 hectares of land in the region in January 2020, including a narrow strip connecting the Punta de la Banya peninsula at the southern tip of the delta with the mainland. Storm Gloria resulted in 14 fatalities, while three other people went missing. Salt, like that being carried in the wheeled loader above, has been mined on Punta de la Banya since the 18th century.
Endangered natural habitats
The area that the government wants to buy is part of a 320-square-kilometer UNESCO biosphere reserve. It is the most important wetland in Catalonia, and one of the largest in Spain. Flora and fauna are diverse, with many migratory birds coming to the Ebro Delta — with a little luck, visitors can even observe wild flamingos there.
Pessimistic scenario
The controversy surrounding the Ebro Delta shows how governments face difficult decisions as they try to adapt to increasing environmental risks. While some scientists advocate saving the Ebro Delta through levee construction and water pumping stations, others assume that this fight would be futile. How long rice can continue to be harvested here is uncertain.