The Government takes the decision not to declare an emergency in the Ter-Llobregat system
The Government has taken the decision not to decree the emergency entry into the Ter-Llobregat system next week, according to sources in the Catalan executive.
This decision has been taken considering the water reserves of the Ter-Llobregat reservoirs, which are currently at 16.5% according to data from the Catalan Water Agency (ACA).
Reasons for the decision
The president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, had previously announced that the municipalities that make up the unit, including Barcelona, the metropolitan area and Girona, could enter a state of emergency next week. However, it has been decided to postpone this decision due to the current conditions of the water reserves.
The Councilor for Climate Action, David Mascort, has reiterated that the emergency will be declared when reserves fall to 16%.
Forecast and restrictions
Despite the lack of rain forecast in the short term, restrictions on water consumption have contributed to prolonging the entry into emergency. At this time, the unit remains in the pre-emergency phase.
The Special Drought Plan (PES) establishes that entry into the emergency phase occurs when water reserves fall to 16% of their capacity. Currently, the unit is at 16.5%.
Situation of reservoirs
Data from the Catalan Water Agency show that all of the reservoirs in Catalonia’s internal basins have dropped for the first time from 16%, standing at 15.99%.
However, this lowering does not imply an automatic application of the emergency declaration, since this is implemented individually in each of the units that make up the internal basins.
The situation of the reservoirs varies, with some units already in emergency and others with reserves greater than 16%.
conclusion
The Government’s decision not to decree the emergency entry into the Ter-Llobregat system next week is based on the current conditions of the reservoirs’ water reserves, despite the lack of short-term rain forecast.