Catalonia: Spanish holiday region declares water emergency. The regional government limits water consumption and washing cars is prohibited.
Farmers are hit particularly hard. According to a 2022 study, the Iberian Peninsula is suffering its worst drought in 1,200 years. The authorities in Catalonia are therefore considering bringing water to Barcelona by ship - a measure that was already decided in 2008, when the water reservoirs had fallen to almost 20 percent of their capacity. On average, the reservoirs are only about 16 percent full. About a year and a half ago the average was just under 60 percent.