Donana National Park faces water crisis amid intensive farming

Donana National Park, a UNESCO-protected wetland in southwestern Spain, is facing a severe water crisis. The region, which serves as a critical habitat for millions of migratory birds and the endangered Iberian lynx, is running dry due to a combination of rising temperatures, climate change-induced droughts, and excessive water extraction.

Spain provides approximately one-quarter of Europe's fresh produce, making the region vital to the continent's food supply. However, this agricultural output relies heavily on an underground aquifer that is being depleted by hundreds of illegal wells. In 2016, WWF Spain estimated the presence of over 1,000 illegal wells and 1,700 ponds used for irrigation across an area comparable to 4,200 football fields.

The intensive farming of lucrative crops like strawberries, often referred to as ‘red gold’, has driven this extraction. While highly profitable, the scale of irrigation required to maintain these yields is significantly impacting the local ecosystem and the availability of water for residents and livestock.