The authority overseeing the management of the Guadalquivir's river basin in the south of Spain warns of the "unfavourable" trend in the evolution of this Natural Park's aquifer, despite the positive hydrological year
The water crisis affecting Doñana National Park in the Andalucía region of southern Spain is threatening to become chronic due to the delicate situation that its aquifer has been experiencing for years. This has not shown any notable improvement in its evolution even with a year of intense rainfall as has happened this year.
Water scarcity persists in Doñana despite a very positive hydrological year, according to the latest report by the Confederación Hidrográfica del Guadalquivir (CHG), the government-appointed body that evaluates the quantitative situation and the evolution of aquifer levels in this natural area that is the Guadalquiver river basin. The CHG study points to an "unfavourable" trend despite the copious rainfall during the hydrological year of 2024/25, which reached 671 mm, a level that represents 123% more water collected in this natural enclave with respect to the average of the last 15 years. As for rainfall distribution by season, autumn was normal with 83% of the average rainfall amount, followed by a very wet winter, with 205% of the average rainfall, and a normal spring, with 82% of the average.
The CHG report also warns of the worsening piezometric situation (deteriorating groundwater levels), as the statistical analysis carried out in the last hydrological year shows signs of "deterioration" in the aquifer, although it cannot be ruled out that the accumulation of water from previous dry years is still affecting overall levels. These piezometric indicators show that the number of sectors within the natural space experiencing water loss has doubled, rising from seven out of a total of 16 sectors in the park in 2012-2013 to 14 sectors in this last hydrological year (1 October to 30 September).
The report highlighted that the recovery of the Doñana aquifer "requires not only an isolated wet year like the one just recorded, but a new wet period, or at least the customary alternation of one wet year occurring every three years."
As for the wetland complex in Doñana National Park, the average flooded surface area is 70% of the average for the reference period. It is noteworthy that the permanent Santa Olalla lagoon has maintained a large sheet of surface water, whereas, in recent years, it has dried up during summer.
The report considers that the current situation jeopardises the good state of the terrestrial ecosystems dependent on these water resources and therefore urges that measures be taken to "halt their deterioration and reverse this poor state of affairs" in the immediate future. Specifically, the CHG proposes halting the increase in the surface area eligible for water use concessions (for instance, irrigation), as well as continuing to support the closure of illegal water intakes and the elimination of irrigation systems that cannot be legalised.
The WWF environmental organisation (World Wildlife Fund) raised the alarm about the negative trend in the Doñana aquifer, as well as the flooded area of the wetlands. Therefore, it has again demanded the implementation of urgent measures, such as the Almonte and Marismas extraction plans, to be addressed in coordination with that of La Rocina.
WWF's spokesperson for Doñana, Juanjo Carmona, stated that "Once again, this report demonstrates that the situation in Doñana is extremely serious, as there is no recovery of the aquifer and the measures being taken are not as effective and efficient as they should be."
Faced with this situation, Carmona urged the governing bodies to "intensify" measures and plans as a matter of urgency because, otherwise, as we can see, "not even a wet year suffices to prevent the aquifer from worsening, let alone recover it". He also denounced "the overexploitation of the aquifer, from which more water is being pumped than is being replenished, causing significant declines in recent years".