The Commission for Water, Energy and the Environment of the College of Civil Engineering, Canals and Ports of Catalonia proposes that a commitment be made to the interconnection of water networks to take advantage of it in situations of drought like this one. This proposal is reflected in a statement that they have made on the occasion of World Water Day which is celebrated today. The document points out another series of measures to make better use of water resources.
The main point of the document states that from the administration an integral management of the water networks is carried out, saving the current administrative divisions. This, in practice, means that the water networks are interconnected and organized as a mesh, and in this way, water can be managed throughout the territory depending on the needs of each area.
In addition to this interconnection, the College of Engineers is committed to increasing the use of reclaimed water and building new infrastructures for this purpose. At the same time, they are also committed to maximizing underground aquifers. All these measures are contemplated, by the engineers, in the context of structural and not punctual drought, due to climate change.
In this sense, the statement of the College indicates that it is necessary to “prepare not for a simple period of drought, but for a drier climate, characterized by more irregular rains .” As a solution, they warn that “current infrastructures are not enough to deal with these episodes” and new ones are needed “if Catalonia wants a good guarantee in the water supply.”
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From the entities in defense of the Ebro river, voices have already been raised critical of the statement, such as that of the Platform in Defense of the Ebro, which has described the College of Engineers of Catalonia as a “lobby in favor of the transfer” of the Ebro to Barcelona, according to they affirm, for professional reasons of construction of structures and increase of water consumption. The College has rejected the idea that their proposal involves only the transfer of the Ebro to Barcelona, and they clarify that what is proposed is to connect the Ebro basin with the rest of the basins of Catalonia. At the same time, they recognize that it is a project that involves different administrations that have to come to an agreement, and that the Generalitat cannot make a decision alone.
However, the Minister of Climate Action, Teresa Jordà, has assured that the proposal can be studied, as well as others that may come to improve water management.