Benidorm on Red Alert for Drought as Summer Approaches

Benidorm awaits the arrival of hundreds of thousands of visitors as summer approaches, who will fill hotels and beaches during the peak season. They will swim, dive into pools, shower, cook, and drink. However, the capital of the Costa Blanca, one of Spain's most touristy cities, is in serious danger: it is on red alert due to a prolonged drought.

The latest drought report published by the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation (CHJ), the basin organization responsible for half of Alicante province, highlights this. The document warns of the extreme situation facing the Marina Baja region as of June 4, the publication date.

This prolonged drought has persisted since December 2024 in the region. Even the spring rains, one of the wettest seasons of the year, have not been able to reverse this situation. And all this in a historic year for rainfall, where national reservoirs record 42,838 cubic hectometres in reserves.

The Marina Baja is one of the few regions in Spain with this level of emergency. Some inland regions of Málaga are already warning of restrictions due to drought, as are Almería and Castilla-La Mancha.

Supply options are limited. The reservoirs of Amadoiro and Guadalest are at alarmingly low levels, in pre-alert status. Together, they hold 7.33 cubic hectometres. Therefore, there are no reserves to draw from for water supply.

Hence, the Central Board of Users of the Júcar-Vinalopó Transfer has approached the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation to provide 11.5 cubic hectometres of water to supply Benidorm and the region. This has been agreed upon by the board of irrigators in an official communication.

According to the latest Júcar basin plan approved by the Ministry of Ecological Transition in 2023, the Marina Baja region is entitled to this amount of water either through the Mutxamel desalination plant or with Júcar resources distributed through the Taibilla Canals Community. "It's just a matter of authorization," said Ángel Urbina, president of the Central Board, to TodoAlicante.

The proposal is to bring water to the Marina Baixa through the Tajo-Segura transfer infrastructure from the Alarcón reservoir to the Rabasa pipeline, which carries flows from the Mutxamel desalination plant. "Everything is connected," assures engineer Urbina, "it's a matter of political will."

These 11.5 cubic hectometres to which the Marina Baja is entitled would be for urban supply, making it a priority according to state regulations.