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| Due to its arid, hot climate, forest fires are a huge problem in Spain |
The major environmental issues Spain faces are the same faced by other Mediterranean countries and are aquatic in nature. The greatest are droughts and water quality in general. To a large extent, Spain has dealt with this problem rather successfully: it is a forerunner in desalination, and through this method supplies most of the nation's potable water needs. Due to the two millennia of deforestation, dating back to the Romans, who though fabulous civilizers certainly left a significant footprint on the environment, and overgrazing, there is significant topsoil erosion. In fact, almost 20% of the total land mass is currently affected by erosion. All of this, on top of the arid, hot climate, makes for frequent wildfires, consuming up to 1,000,000 hectares of forestland each year. There are efforts at reforestation, but these are not aided by the livestock industry - the grazing sheep and goats. As elsewhere in the industrialized world, air pollution is an issue, though perhaps less so than in some parts of the continent, since by European standards, Spain is relatively sparsely populated, with the bulk of its population concentrated in the cities. Another significant threat to the environment is the pollution of the Mediterranean Sea due to raw sewage, as well as offshore oil and gas production effluents. The concretification of the coastline is compounding the problem and altering the eco-system irreparably. As for the conservation, the Directorate General of the Environment, within the Ministry of Public Works and Urban Affairs, is the main body in charge of the environment. Currently, 44 of Spain's animal species and 117 plant species are in danger of extinction.
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| Tankers in the shipping lanes are a constant threat to the environment |
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| The Iberian Lynx is one of the protected species |
Spain is actively protecting almost 10% of its territory, whether through parks of nature or national parks. The national hunting grounds can also be seen as a form of conservation, as activities are also strongly regulated within them (most of the hunting licenses are issued to occasional game bird hunters). Obviously, the level of protection and the access to the public vary from place to place. In some places, the mere number of visitors is becoming a problem: for instance, over 500,000 people visit the Ordesa National Park per year. In most of the parks, there are both information centers on the area's flora and fauna, points of interests, activities and hiking trails, as well as refuges or information on nearby accommodation and camping grounds. All of these serve as both enclaves, protecting the endemic species, as well as educational centers, raising the awareness of the local specifics. Most of these programs are under the jurisdiction of regional governments, which also do not always take the same interest in protecting the environment.
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| What does the future hold for the Iberian ibex? |
Environmental awareness increased dramatically in the 1980s, both after Franco's demise and due to ever-rising international and European standards of environmental protection: the number of protected areas went from 35 in 1981 to approximately 750 presently. In 2004, 48 new national parks were identified for declaration in the upcoming period. The EU Natura 2000 Network gives over 1,200 locations which are to be protected as Zones of Special Conservation, covering approximately 22% of Spain, with many marine sites. Currently, there are 156 endangered species of flora and fauna: 108 plants in danger of extinction due to agricultural activities and tourism, 17 birds, 6 mammals, 4 fish, 4 reptiles and 16 invertebrates. For most, there is no recovery plan despite legislation to the contrary. In the past century, 17 animal and 24 plant species have become extinct in Spain.
R.I.P. January 6, 2000
The last surviving member of the species was found dead on that cold day, her skull crushed under a fallen tree, in what marked the first failed conservation attempt of the new millennium. Although the species was declared protected in 1973, a management plan to preserve it was not enacted until 1993, when only 10 animals were still alive. The Pyrenean Ibex was one of the four subspecies of the Iberian Ibex. The Portuguese Ibex became extinct in 1892, and with this recent demise of the Pyrenean Ibex, only two subspecies can still be seen in Spain: the Gredos and the Beceite Ibex. Who knows what's in store for them?
