Spain irrigation pond safety: Conservationists demand urgent new regulations

Conservation organizations GREFA and WWF Spain are calling on Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge to urgently reactivate a pending royal decree regarding irrigation pond safety. There are approximately 100,000 irrigation ponds in Spain, most of which lack safety measures such as escape ramps for animals or perimeter protections.

Estimates suggest that nearly one million animals, both wild and domestic, may die annually in these ponds due to drowning, dehydration, or exhaustion. Recent incidents include the death of an Iberian lynx named Urze and her two cubs in Albacete.

The lack of regulation also poses a risk to humans. Since 2010, 31 people have died by drowning in these ponds, including agricultural workers and seven children. The organizations argue that the delay in approving safety standards continues to result in preventable accidents.