Erick Burgueño Salas
Research expert covering climate change and the water industry
Climate change in Spain - statistics & facts
Heat waves in January might be a reality for the Global South, but such an unusual phenomenon for that time of the year has already reached countries in the Northern Hemisphere. Spain reported in January 2024 the highest average temperature for that month since records started. In some cities, the thermometer went over the 30 degree Celsius mark in the middle of winter. Even if such events could be influenced by other meteorological factors (like El Niño), extreme climate conditions in the Mediterranean country are strongly related to climate change and have been causing severe impacts on the Spanish economy and its residents in recent years.
Low precipitation combined with higher-than-usual temperatures have aggravated the situation, leading to a severe drought. As of February 2024, the water reservoirs in Spain were only half full, with a more dire scenario on the Mediterranean coast. Reservoirs at catchments like the Andalusian Basin or the Internal Basins of Catalonia were below 20 percent of their capacity, leaving their population at an emergency level. It is forecast that temperatures will continue to rise, and precipitation patterns will be harder to predict.
In matters of what Spaniards are willing to do in the fight against climate change, 90 percent of respondents to a 2022 survey stated that they would install solar panels on their houses. On the other hand, less than half said they would be willing to pay more taxes to make the ecological transition fairer for society.
Climate change and drought
More frequent and impactful weather events, more extensive wildfires, and rising sea levels are among some of the effects of climate change that Spain is expected to withstand in the years to come. Within the long list of climate change’s effects, droughts are of the most recent concern. Annual rainfall across peninsular Spain in the past five years has been below the previous decade’s average of 638 millimeters and has been declining yearly. In 2023, average total precipitation reached around 536 millimeters, the sixth driest year since records started.Low precipitation combined with higher-than-usual temperatures have aggravated the situation, leading to a severe drought. As of February 2024, the water reservoirs in Spain were only half full, with a more dire scenario on the Mediterranean coast. Reservoirs at catchments like the Andalusian Basin or the Internal Basins of Catalonia were below 20 percent of their capacity, leaving their population at an emergency level. It is forecast that temperatures will continue to rise, and precipitation patterns will be harder to predict.
Is climate change a relevant matter for Spaniards?
Even though only around ten percent of respondents in Spain listed climate change itself as one of the main environmental issues in the country, its effects on the climate and the causes of the change are definitely of concern for them. Air pollution and drought were among the most pressing matters for the public, according to a 2023 survey. Nevertheless, when asked directly if they were concerned about climate change, more than 75 percent of interviewees expressed that they were, with only six percent stating they were not concerned at all.In matters of what Spaniards are willing to do in the fight against climate change, 90 percent of respondents to a 2022 survey stated that they would install solar panels on their houses. On the other hand, less than half said they would be willing to pay more taxes to make the ecological transition fairer for society.
