In Pictures

Photos: Dry winter drains reservoir in northwestern Spain

Large sections of Spain are experiencing prolonged drought, with rainfall at one-third of the average in recent years.

Visitors look at the old village of Aceredo emerged due to drought at the Lindoso reservoir, in northwestern Spain — Visitors look at the old village of Aceredo that emerged due to drought at the Lindoso Reservoir in northwestern Spain. [Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo]

By AP

It has been pretty common every summer to see roofs peeking out of the water at the Lindoso reservoir in northwestern Spain.

If it was an especially dry summer, parts would appear of the old village of Aceredo, submerged three decades ago when a hydropower dam flooded the valley.

But never before has the entire skeleton of the village emerged in the middle of the usually wet winter season.

With nearly no rain for two months and not much expected anytime soon, the ruins of Aceredo are dredging up a mix of emotions for locals as they see the rusted carcass of a car, a stone fountain with water still spouting from it and an old road leading to what used to be the local bar.

In the last three months of 2021, Spain recorded just 35 percent of the average rainfall it had seen during the same period from 1981 to 2010.

But there has been almost no rain since then.

While only 10 percent of Spain has officially been declared to be under a “prolonged drought”, there are large areas, particularly in the south, that are facing extreme shortages that could affect crop irrigation.

The valley around the Guadalquivir River in Spain’s southwest was declared under prolonged drought in November last year.

It is now the focus of a fierce environmental dispute over water rights near Donana National Park, a World Heritage wetland site.

Spain’s government plans to dedicate more than 570 million euros ($647m) from the European Union’s pandemic recovery fund to make its irrigation systems more efficient, including incorporating renewable energy systems.

Spanish Agriculture Minister Luis Planas said this week the government will take emergency measures if it doesn’t rain in two weeks.

Those would likely be limited to economic benefits to palliate the loss of crops and revenues for farmers.

Parts of the old village of Aceredo, submerged three decades ago when a hydropower dam flooded the valley, have emerged after water levels dropped due to prolonged drought at the Lindoso Reservoir. [Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo]

A man photographs the old village of Aceredo — Roofs peeking out of the water have been a common sight every summer at the Lindoso Reservoir. [Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo]

Julio Penin, 78, looks at a grave as they visit the old village of Aceredo that emerged due to prolonged drought at the Lindoso Reservoir. [Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo]

Jose Penin, 72, walks with his brother Julio, 78, as they visit the old village of Aceredo. [Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo]

Rafael Monlina, 33, holds his four-month-old son Marcos as they visit the old village of Aceredo. Never before has the skeleton of the village emerged in its entirety in the middle of the usually wet winter season. [Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo]

An old house, submerged three decades ago — In the last three months of 2021, Spain recorded just 35 percent of the average rainfall it had seen during the same period from 1981 to 2010. [Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo]

Boxes with old bottles of beers are photographed outside a store at the old village of Aceredo — Boxes with old bottles of beer outside a shop at the old village of Aceredo. Spanish Minister of Agriculture Luis Planas said this week the government will take emergency measures if it does not rain in two weeks. [Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo]

The roof of an old house, submerged three decades ago when a hydropower dam flooded the valley. [Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo]