Doñana National Park 'on brink of extinction'

The Doñana National Park in southern Spain is on the verge of extinction due to an array of threats including illegal water irrigation practices.

Doñana, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, is home to an great range of plant and animal species, many of which are at risk of extinction.

Yet the use of illegally extracted water from the already-overexploited park's aquifers is causing significant damage to this delicate ecosystem.

Reports suggest that more than 1,000 illegal wells have been dug near the park, with some farmers using powerful pumps to extract water from the wetlands. Additionally, recent proposals by the regional government to legalise many of these wells is putting even more pressure on the system.

Illegal wells have been dug near Doñana National Park to provide water for intensive strawberry production (SEO / BirdLife).

The water extraction around Doñana is causing soil degradation, loss of biodiversity and changes to the flow of rivers. Some experts even predict that all the park's freshwater wetlands could dry up year-round within the next decade if action is not taken to address the problem. For the past two years, the main permanent freshwater lagoon of Doñana has already dried up by spring.

Doñana's drought has had devastating impacts on the local birdlife. The national park normally supports a vast number of wetland species, yet its dry marshes have caused many to disappear. Rare and endangered species such as Marbled Duck, White-headed Duck and Western Swamphen are of particular concern, with numbers having plummeted in recent years.

Referring to the situation at Doñana as "dire", BirdLife International and its Spanish partner, SEO/BirdLife, have called for immediate action to be taken by the Andalusian government.

In a statement published on its website, BirdLife International said: "The situation in the Doñana National Park is a stark reminder of the importance of protecting our natural habitats. The park's wetlands are home to an incredible array of plant and animal species, and their destruction would be a tragedy for both people and nature. You can add your voice to the masses, and demand that this incredible natural resource is protected before it is too late."

Sign the petition against the Andalusian government's plans to legalise the pumps that are draining the Doñana dry here.