Tropical fruit growers call on authorities to speed up Axarquía desalination plant

False sense of security

Despite the temporary improvement in La Viñuela reservoir after the latest rains, López has warned against what he calls a "false sense of security". He went on to say, "The solution is not to wait for rain, but to take courageous decisions now that we do not have the extreme urgency of other months," adding that there is a "structural" problem with water in the Axarquía.

The AET proposes a roadmap based on five pillars: the decisive promotion of the use of regenerated water "of quality and at affordable prices", the implementation of the desalination plant as a strategic axis, the improvement of the conduction infrastructures - the so-called "water highways" -, the simplification of bureaucracy and the implementation of aquifer systems.

"Water cannot be wasted in some areas while it is lacking in others", said López, who also criticised the "interminable procedures" that make it difficult for farmers to access available resources, calling for more agile and efficient management. "Now is the time to act, to execute and not to be late again," he said, concluding: "Water security cannot remain a promise. It has to become, once and for all, a reality."