Voices from the Costa Blanca: Perspectives on drought and government action

As parts of Spain are struggling with drought, we took to the streets to ask residents and visitors on the Costa Blanca their thoughts.

How has the lack of rain affected you whether you are a resident or a visitor and do you think the Government could be doing more to tackle drought?

Joanne, a retired regular visitor to the Alicante region from the UK said: “We certainly can’t control the amount of rain that’s in the lap of the gods!”

“They could introduce a national grid so water could be moved from places where they have more rain. It would be similar to what they do with electricity, it would be costly but they would only have to set it up once.

26-year-old Alicante resident, Àngela, said: “It feels like summer, I have even been in the sea already this year!”

“Due to the lack of rain, I have been able to make more outside plans such as riding my horse and going to the beach.”

“I don’t think we are struggling with the drought as much as areas such as Catalonia but I think the government should invest in more ways of collecting rainwater.”

We also bumped into 53-year-old Paul. Originally from the UK, Paul has been living in Alicante for over 20 years. He confirmed: “It is concerning.”

“We are being extra careful with our water use at home. There are floods in some parts of the country yet drought in other parts. There must be a way to distribute the water around the country.”

19-year-old Alicante native, Daniel, added: “I think we are luckier than other parts of the country where the drought is limiting people’s water usage. It is a concern.”

“We are surrounded by water, it would make sense to have more desalination plants to help combat future droughts.”