About six million people in more than 200 towns, villages and cities in the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia will be banned from washing their cars or filling swimming pools as the regional government on Thursday declared a state of emergency due to a water shortage caused by drought.
Water consumption in the affected municipalities will also be limited to 200 liters per person per day, the Catalan government announced, with the measures including the Catalan capital of Barcelona.
Catalonia has been facing increased water shortages in recent years. The current drought, the “worst in history,” has been ongoing for more than three years, according to the Catalan government.
The emergency measures announced Thursday also limit water usage for agricultural, industrial, and recreational use and were announced as water supplies for the regions continued to drop.
Farmers will have to reduce their water usage for irrigation by 80%, while the amount of water used for livestock is to be halved, according to the Catalan government.
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About six million people in more than 200 towns, villages and cities in the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia will be banned from washing their cars or filling swimming pools as the regional government on Thursday declared a state of emergency due to a water shortage caused by drought.
Water consumption in the affected municipalities will also be limited to 200 liters per person per day, the Catalan government announced, with the measures including the Catalan capital of Barcelona.
Catalonia has been facing increased water shortages in recent years. The current drought, the “worst in history,” has been ongoing for more than three years, according to the Catalan government.
The emergency measures announced Thursday also limit water usage for agricultural, industrial, and recreational use and were announced as water supplies for the regions continued to drop.
Farmers will have to reduce their water usage for irrigation by 80%, while the amount of water used for livestock is to be halved, according to the Catalan government.
Reserves in the Ter-Llobregat water system, made up of Catalonia’s two biggest rivers, fell to 16% Thursday, triggering the emergency announcement, the president of the Catalan government, Pere Aragonès, said. [Read more](https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/01/climate/spanish-region-catalonia-drought-emergency-intl/index.html)