CREAF participates in a new report by Office C on drought in Spain

Drought is a natural phenomenon shared by the entire Mediterranean region. The problem is that climate change is intensifying its frequency and intensity, and Spain is among the most vulnerable regions. This new reality threatens key sectors such as agriculture and tourism, energy production, and affects the proper functioning of ecosystems, among other consequences. In response to this scenario, Office C—the Science and Technology Office of the Congress of Deputies—has presented a This comprehensive report analyzes the magnitude of the problem and the challenges of the current climate context . It was prepared with input from 22 scientists from research centers across the country, including Annelies Broekman and Cristina Domingo-Marimon, researchers at CREAF.

For her part, Cristina Domingo-Marimon has provided an overview of how changes in oscillations have impacted drought conditions, as well as how drought regimes changed in the 1980s . She has also contributed to the section on agricultural and livestock practices for sustainable water and soil use, with all the knowledge she has learned through the BESTMAP and MONALISA projects.

Annelies Broekman has made a significant contribution to another key chapter: how water governance works and how it could be improved —that is, the set of rules, decisions, and participatory mechanisms that determine how this resource is managed. Among other things, she points out the need to further strengthen dialogue between government bodies, citizens, and the business sector to develop a roadmap.

Some of the key findings of the document show that the main water consumer in Spain is the agricultural sector (80%), followed by urban water supply (16%) and industry (4%) . It also points out that water pressure is highest in spring and summer because irrigation seasons, increased urban consumption, and tourism coincide with the period of lowest rainfall. This combination leads to a situation where, in many areas, demand exceeds available water, resulting in a structural scarcity that extends beyond isolated drought episodes.

To address both droughts and water scarcity, there is no single solution, and the report proposes a series of recommendations that must be adapted to each specific situation. Some of the proposals include reducing water demand and using it more efficiently ; for example, in agriculture, modernizing irrigation systems should not simply increase the irrigated area. The report also proposes restoring and protecting aquifers and natural watercourses, and complementing these efforts with technological solutions such as desalination, regeneration, and urban rainwater harvesting, among other things.

Furthermore, it also recommends updating drought plans, even in the smallest municipalities, and integrating climate change into all hydrological planning, because, according to scientific analysis, investing in prevention can be up to three times more cost-effective than reacting when the drought is already happening.

The drought report was recently presented at a conference in the Clara Campoamor Room of the Congress of Deputies . Three of the co-authors—Sergio Vicente, a researcher at IPE-CSIC; Julio Berbel of the University of Córdoba; and Nuria Hernández-Mora of the New Water Culture Foundation—participated in a round table discussion to analyze key aspects of the document. The event also included the participation of the Speaker of the Congress of Deputies, Francina Armengol; the Director General of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), Izaskun Lacunza; and the coordinators of the C Office, Ana Elorza and Pedro Peña.

“This report addresses a key issue for society and public policy: drought, water management, and the country’s ecological and socioeconomic vulnerability. It is essential to contribute scientific rigor and specialized technical knowledge to a report that is directly linked to political and territorial management decisions,” adds Cristina Domingo-Marimon.

Office C is an initiative launched by the Congress Bureau in collaboration with FECYT . Its mission is to provide independent scientific information to members of parliament to facilitate evidence-based legislative decisions. To date, it has published reports on green hydrogen, artificial intelligence and health, cybersecurity, aging, air quality, forest fires, and neurodegenerative diseases, among other priority topics.

Both researchers from CREAF agree that the connection between science and politics is fundamental to facing crises like this, and participating in this initiative of the C Office is a concrete way to strengthen this link and contribute a data-based and rigorous perspective to society as a whole.