Major Spanish wetland drying up at alarming rate

A new report has revealed that Doñana World Heritage Site, Europe's leading wetland reserve, is rapidly drying up and threatening hundreds of thousands of birds, and could take up to 60 years to recover.

About 80 per cent of the Guadalquivir river marshes have been lost in the last century and this status is being greatly exacerbated by current government policy. The underground aquifer that feeds Doñana's marshes has suffered severe declines, with some parts seeing a decrease of up to 35 m, affecting rivers, marshes, lagoons and the flora and fauna that make Doñana unique. The report notes that Doñana's aquifer would need between 30 and 60 years to recover completely from the current overexploitation, after strong measures are taken to end illegal and unsustainable water use.

The site, which is in danger of being the first EU natural World Heritage Site to be placed on the World Heritage Committee's endangered list, has suffered a decrease of 80 per cent of the freshwater that reaches its marshlands, largely due to river modification projects in its main tributaries such as the Guadalquivir and the overexploitation of the aquifer.

The water supply from the aquifer is critical for the wetland, and its decline makes Doñana much more vulnerable to climate change impact. The hundreds of thousands of birds that fly from the rest of Europe to spend the winter in Doñana NP will find the marshes almost devoid of water.

Other growing effects on the ecosystem include a change of vegetation from water-dependent to drought-resistant plants; 96 per cent of the current biomass of fish in the marshland being formed by alien species; pollution, with agrochemicals being detected in crabs, nitrogen levels higher than the legal limit set by the EU, and toxic heavy metals; the speeding up of eutrophication processes with an exponential increases in phosphorus and nitrogen levels, resulting on the expansion of alien plant species; and seven out of 10 species of Red-listed dragonfly and damselfly disappearing from the park.

Marbled Duck has almost disappeared from the Doñana World Heritage Site (Photo: Stuart Andrews)

The Worldwide Fund for Nature report is one of the most thorough scientific analyses ever made of the state of water in Doñana, and the effects this is having on the ecosystem. It notes that the populations of wintering wildfowl that rely on a healthy marsh are rapidly declining, with the endangered Marbled Duck almost disappearing. The unique temporary lagoons are drying up at an appalling rate, and 40 per cent of the species of dragonflies that lived in Doñana have consequently been lost.

Chris Gee, WWF-UK Senior Campaigns Manager at #SaveOurHeritage, said: "Doñana is a fragile World Heritage Site, a unique wetland ecosystem. This report demonstrates the urgent need for the new Spanish government to focus on protecting its value. Europe's leading wetland is drying out at an alarming rate and could lead to the precipitous decline of flora and fauna which makes it receive its World Heritage site status. Further inaction risks precious wildlife and the livelihoods for the people who rely on this site. UNESCO set a deadline for the government of 1 December to cancel harmful dredging plans. If the government does not act Doñana could be the first EU natural World Heritage site to be put on the endangered list."

The water situation is also the biggest concern of the international bodies that look after Doñana's conservation, both for UNESCO and for the European Commission. The Commission is about to take to Spain to the European courts because of mismanagement of water in the Doñana area.

So far over 122,000 people from around the world have already joined WWF's call, asking Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and the president of the Andalusian Regional Government Susana Diaz to protect Doñana World Heritage Site. More about the action can be found here.