Spain is one of many countries suffering from water shortages. Part of the reason for this has been the heavy reliance on water the consumption of which has risen due to agriculture and tourism in those areas of the south where water supply is at its least. Part of the problem has been that previous governments have avoided the issue.

Before the Present Spanish Government came to power the Popular Party, then headed by Jose Maria Aznar had a scheme in place to divert the waters of the Ebro which flows through northern Catalan into the Seguro. Because of environmental concerns for the plant and animal life in regions around the Ebro river the ecologists objected and the scheme was quashed when the PSOE came to power. The diversion which was to be paid for with European money was to have fed the most poorly watered areas of Spain Valencia and Murcia with water.

The cessation of this scheme abruptly created the 'Agua para todos' Demonstrations which perennially arrive along the most drought related areas of the south coast.

A side issue has been that the droughts last year created many fires along the coasts which were unable to be extinguished.

Th PSOE socialist party created its own plan which was to create desalination plants all along the coast and power them with renewable energy. Wind power is in abundance along the Mediterranean and for the purpose of creating drinking water which can be stored in reservoirs to avoid peak daily or weakly usage which would appear ideal. However the plan has not yet been successfully put into action and so for the next two years at least the south coast is under the threat of drought.

Meanwhile the growth of Golf courses, swimming pools and luxury homes in response to an increase in foreign tourists contributes to Spain's water shortage. In the Murcia region the number of tourists increments by 15% each year and water dependant agriculture has increased by a quarter since 2005.

Clearly the current water consumption is unsustainable -with or without the desalination plants. The current policy of Spaniards is to increase water consumption by increasing home ownership, second homes and and increase in agriculture and water is presented as a cheap resource.
According to reports from the UN Environment Programme large tracts, they estimate that up to 30%, of Spain may become desert  over the next twenty years. Irrigation of the land with seawater desalinated by fusion power is ancient. It's called 'rain'.

It may well be that ecologists or not the government may well regret cancelling the Ebro river project...