Spain

Question 1

Where is Spain?

Answer 1

Southern Europe, closer to North Africa and Sahara

Question 2

How much of Spain is classified as arid?

Answer 2

50% making it the driest country in Europe

Question 3

In 2008, how much of Spain was at risk of desertification?

Answer 3

37%

Question 4

Where are the most vulnerable areas of the country?

Answer 4

Andalusia and Murcia

Question 5

How much has the average temperature in Spain increased by?

Answer 5

1.5C in the last century

Question 6

What has the increase in temperature caused a increase in?

Answer 6

Increase in rate of evapotranspiration

Question 7

What has the higher temperatures and lower rainfall reduced?

Answer 7

Surface water resources

Question 8

By how much has the amount of freshwater fell by between 1995 and 2015?

Answer 8

20%

Question 9

With the less water available to recharge groundwater supplies, what has this led to?

Answer 9

Fewer plants can grow meaning there are fewer roots to hold soil together

Question 10

With the soil not being held up, what can this lead to?

Answer 10

More desertification and soil erosion

Question 11

With the climate increase, what is there more risk with?

Answer 11

Increase of forest fires causing deforestation and desertification

Question 12

What is overcultivation reducing?

Answer 12

The nutrient content of the soil to the part where it is no longer productive/fertile

Question 13

How much of top soil is lost each year in Andalusia?

Answer 13

80 million tonnes

Question 14

Why is so much top soil lost?

Answer 14

Due to over cultivation of olive trees

Question 15

What is overgrazing reducing?

Answer 15

Vegetation cover

Question 16

Why is groundwater resources depleting?

Answer 16

Due to it being pumped to irrigate crops

Question 17

Why is more irrigation being used?

Answer 17

Agriculture is carried out in areas that aren’t suitable for it

Question 18

What is an example of a region and area where agriculture is occurring?

Answer 18

Almeria in Andalusia

Question 19

Why is Andalusia good for Spain?

Answer 19

Important agricultural area as the produce grown here is for export which contributes $1.5b to the economy each year

Question 20

What are farmers doing because there are restrictions on Aquifer use?

Answer 20

Illegal boreholes to get water supplies for their crops

Question 21

How many holiday homes were built along Spanish Coast?

Answer 21

180,000 in 2004

Question 22

What does the development of holiday homes increase?

Answer 22

Strain on water supplies and more demand for pools, water parks and irrigation on golf courses

Question 23

How do developments get round the regulations?

Answer 23

By reclassifying areas as crops for grass on golf courses and villas as farms

Question 24

What does the urbanisation contribute to and reduce?

Answer 24

Desertification and reduces water availability for farms reducing productivity

Question 25

What has the demand for water created?

Answer 25

Conflict and a black market for water supplied from illegal boreholes

Question 26

How much land is illegally irrigated in Murcia?

Answer 26

40%

Question 28

What has the exploitation of groundwater supply led to?

Answer 28

Loss of habitats such as wetlands and reduced biodiversity

Question 29

What happens to the water as groundwater levels fall?

Answer 29

Becomes salinsated and it means that the water is salty and no longer available for drinking or irrigation

Question 30

What happens to the soils around the aquifers as they become salinised?

Answer 30

Leaves soil unusable for farming and depletes farmers of their likelihood

Question 31

What programme has the Government done?

Answer 31

Programme of National Action Against Desertification

Question 32

What does this programme aim to do?

Answer 32

Limit desertification and promotes sustainable development in Southern Spain

Question 33

What plan was made in 2001?

Answer 33

National Hydrological Plan

Question 34

What does the NHP aim to do?

Answer 34

Ensure water supply meets demand

Question 35

What was part of the NHP plan that was controversial?

Answer 35

Transferring water from areas

Question 36

What has been built to produce freshwater from seawater?

Answer 36

Desalination plants

Question 37

What is the problem with desalination plants?

Answer 37

Expensive to build and run

Question 38

What have been some successful strategies with the NHP plan?

Answer 38

Investing in drip irrigation has reduced the amount of water wasted during irrigation

Question 39

With the country identifying areas at high risk of wildfires, what did this do?

Answer 39

Allowed them to reforest after fire or deforestation to reduce soil erosion and retain soil moisture

Question 40

What was set up which allowed farmers to buy water and what does this reduce?

Answer 40

Official water trading scheme which sold water at 3x the normal price but lower than black market rate. Reduced illegal exploitation of aquifers