S'Albufera water crisis spurs Mallorca dune rescue

S'Albufera on Mallorca is losing freshwater while the dune system at es Comú has been damaged by coastal retreat, conservation group GOB says. On 1 September, it called for both problems to be tackled in a new management plan for the natural park. The previous plan covered 1999 to 2002.

GOB says the new Plan Rector de Uso y Gestión, known as the PRUG, offers a chance to halt environmental decline in the park. It has also asked the Balearic Government to include water recovery and dune restoration in the national restoration plan required under the new European nature-restoration rules.

Freshwater flow must come first

The group describes the worsening water situation as S'Albufera's most serious conservation problem. Reduced freshwater inflows, saltwater intrusion and poor water quality are affecting valuable habitats and species, it says.

GOB wants the PRUG to set the minimum ecological flow needed to protect and restore the wetland. It also wants the real amount of water taken from the aquifers feeding the wetland to be measured and monitored.

If those withdrawals leave too little water for the park, they should be reviewed, reduced or restricted, the group says. It argues that S'Albufera's needs must be scientifically established rather than being left with whatever water remains after existing uses.

Dunes need room to shift

At es Comú, coastal retreat and damage have wiped out much of the structure of a working dune system, according to GOB. The group wants the plan to restore the natural sequence from dry beach to young dunes, vegetated moving dunes and more stable dune formations.

It says the dunes need enough space to adapt to future coastal retreat. The plan should also set capacity limits for the park, its separate areas and different times of year, allowing temporary restrictions where needed.

GOB wants the rules to cover new forms of mobility and stop public uses becoming permanent simply because they already happen. It is also calling for at least one full-time environmental officer dedicated solely to S'Albufera.

Topics: Sea & coast · Environment

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com