What are the repercussions of Climate Change in Spain?

The potato omelette, Iberian ham, the siesta, wine, sporting triumphs, flamenco, Picasso, Goya, an enviable climate… Spain is a country full of wonders.

Wait a minute, did we say an enviable climate? Because the data do not seem to support this statement.
Global warming is affecting the whole planet. And, unfortunately, Spain is no exception.
Let’s see how Climate Change is harming our country.

In 2015, from 27 June to 22 July, the longest heat wave the country has ever experienced was recorded, affecting 30 provinces. The highest temperature recorded was in 2017, reaching 41.1ºC and affecting 14 provinces for 5 days. With regard to agriculture, Spain is the country with the largest area of vineyards in the world. Heat causes negative effects on vines such as increased heat stress, decreased quality (lower acidity, colour and tannins), increased alcohol content, increased risk of fire or increased risk of pests and diseases.

A study by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) has shown that sea level has risen by 2.8 millimetres every year since 1993. This means that the rate of sea level rise in Spain has doubled in the last 20 years. The consequences for a country with a long coastline such as Spain could have serious effects, such as the retreat of the coastline and the loss of beaches, or a greater impact on coastal infrastructure from storms.

We must bear in mind that drought is a common phenomenon in the Mediterranean climate. Therefore, we have to distinguish between meteorological drought (continuous shortage of precipitation) and hydrological drought (reduced water availability in a management system).

Experts are therefore concerned about hydrological drought, which has to do with the management and storage of available water resources. So why is this phenomenon so serious if Spain is used to droughts?

Because in addition to hydrological scarcity (chronic in Spain due to high water consumption), there are increasingly longer and more frequent meteorological droughts. There are more and more days with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, causing an increase in evapotranspiration in surface water, soil, vegetation and crops.

Spain is the European country where heat-related deaths increased the most in 2023.
The hours of risk of heat stress have increased; the climate is more prone to the proliferation of mosquitoes that transmit viral diseases such as Zika or dengue or parasitic diseases such as malaria; the pollen season (and allergies) has been extended in time and the increase in heat-related deaths has doubled the European figures in Spain.

According to a report published by Nature, climate change will impoverish Spain by 18% by 2050. To reach this conclusion, the research has used data collected over the last 40 years. With this information, the effects of climate change in Spain will reduce average income by 18% by 2050.