It finally rained.

But in Rialb the level has not risen.

Where otherwise the water of the largest reservoir in Catalonia shimmers turquoise blue between the green hills, a scree desert stretches over long stretches through which only a trickle flows.

An old street sign has appeared among the remains of Tiurana's walls.

The village was submerged in the floods more than two decades ago.

At the beginning of September, the water reservoir was less than five percent full.

However, the most recent downpours only contributed to the fact that the water level did not drop any further: it is lower than ever before and like in no other reservoir in Catalonia.

Hans Christian Roessler

Political correspondent for the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb based in Madrid.

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Everyone feels the consequences.

The hydroelectric power plant had to stop operating – like almost all such plants in Spain, where the demand for electricity was immense because of the summer heat, because the air conditioning was in continuous operation.

While Russia cut back supplies, gas power plants had to step in.

Overall, the Spanish reservoirs are only about a third full.

This low was last reached in 1995.

The Rialb reservoir can no longer irrigate the 7,000 hectares of plantations and fields via the two canals.

Agriculture plays an important role in the province of Lleida.

This summer, 150 municipalities in Catalonia alone restricted water use.

Gardens must not be watered, swimming pools must not be filled.

In some places there was only water for a few hours a day.

The Rialb reservoir was actually supposed to be turned into a water sports centre.

A solar powered boat should cruise on the lake.

Not only there, but up to the Pyrenees, most kayaks and rafting boats are stranded this summer.

In the first summer after the corona pandemic, they experienced a real boom.

Now there is not enough water in the rivers.

Other visitors come for that.

In Spain, people are already talking about “drought tourism”.

In Vilanova de Sau, the authorities had to take action.

To access the dried-up reservoir, which has released the church of Sant Romà de Sau, an access permit must be applied for on the Internet.

In the Extremadura in western Spain, the 150 prehistoric megalithic stones can suddenly be seen again because of the drought in the reservoir of Valdecañas.

The fourth driest year on record

But the new visitors are no substitute for the damage caused by the lack of rain in Spain.

During the hydrological year from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022, it has rained a good quarter less than in an average year.

According to the state weather service Aemet, it is the fourth driest year since weather records began.

The three other years that were even drier were all recorded after the turn of the millennium.

It was the hottest summer on record in 31 Spanish provinces.

Several heat waves lasted 42 days, which started earlier than ever before and fueled huge forest fires.

According to the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), drought,

Despite the record summer, Spain is largely responsible for the water shortage itself.

The country lives beyond its means.

Rafael Seiz, the water expert from the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), says it is normal for very dry years to alternate with rainier ones: “What is missing is the water in the reservoirs.

It's not just because of the lack of rain.

We use more water than our rivers and aquifers can handle.”

A good 80 percent of the available resources flow into the irrigation of agricultural land - that is about twice as much as in other European countries.

Climate change is causing longer periods of drought, which would have to be watered earlier and for a longer period of time because of the many plantings, says Seiz.

The high temperatures also allow more water to evaporate.

However, many Spanish farmers were not impressed by this.

You just keep planting.

More and more thirsty tropical fruits are growing on their plantations, with which they can generate higher income abroad.

For example avocados and mangoes.

According to the WWF, in the past 20 years the irrigated areas have grown from three to four million hectares - with dire consequences: In the Doñana National Park in Andalusia, one of the most important wetlands in Europe, the last freshwater lagoon has just dried up.

Huge strawberry plantations and a large holiday resort compete with the UNESCO natural heritage for the little water.

However, Rafael Seiz does not give up hope.

It's not too late, says the WWF expert, "but we have to reorganize our agricultural production and adapt it to the water we have".