He climate change It is the greatest challenge facing humanity. He World Environment Daypromoted by the United Nations every June 5, focuses this year his message in restoring the lands, stop desertification and strengthen resilience to drought. This call to action reminds us of the urgency of protecting our planet.
According to United Nations Convention to Combat Desertificationalmost half of the world’s population resides in areas “degraded”; that is, those areas that suffer desertification. Since 2000, Drought episodes have increased by 29% globally. Specifically, Spain is one of the countries in the European Union most affected by the drought, at the moment especially in the south and in Catalonia, and its citizens are among the most aware.
Veoliaa world leader in ecological transformation with solutions in water, energy and waste, has published this year the second edition of the Barometer of Ecological Transformation carried out at a global level together with the consulting firm Elabe, which highlights this greater awareness of the Spanish population regarding climate change. So, 78% feel vulnerable to its effects, compared to the world average of 65%. On the other hand, 80% of Spanish citizens consider that they may be affected by a deterioration in their quality of life, compared to 68% globally.
In Spain, Agbar, part of the Veolia grouprepresents a ‘hub’ of knowledge of the integral water cycle, where it supplies water to 13.5 million people and provides service to 1,100 municipalities, acting from proximity to the territory. In the collective effort to act against climate change, and against the challenge of desertification and drought in particular, the company has reinforced its strategy of innovative solutions for the preservation and sustainable management of water.
These solutions are based on circular models and are inspired by nature itself, with the aim of caring for and restoring the ecosystems in the group’s facilities, as well as in key natural spaces. An example: in the park The Recorral from Rojales (Alicante), Hydraqua, part of the group, has created in collaboration with the city council a wet area of five artificial lagoons with regenerated water. A variety of vegetation and wild fauna now thrive in a new landscape whose function is to prevent discharges into the environment during episodes of torrential rain.
Reuse to be more resilient
The circular economy is at the center of the group’s activities. Given the current context of water scarcity, Agbar is committed to the regeneration and subsequent reuse of water, giving it multiple new uses. Irrigation, both of urban green areas and crops, the cleaning of cities or the return of regenerated water in optimal conditions to rivers and aquifers to restart the capture cycle These are some functional examples of this solution. The equation couldn’t be clearer: The greater the amount of regenerated water in circulation, the less dependence on the weather. and less pressure in general on available water resources.
