Saturday 24 May 2008

Blue gold

running tap

Photo from Flickr user jenny downing. Creative Commons Licence.

It's raining here in central France, and has been since yesterday afternoon. I'm not too sorry. Barcelona in the Catalan region of Spain is facing its worst drought for many years with water supplies at a fraction of the normal level.

Since mid-May ships from Société du Canal de Provence have been supplying Barcelona with drinking water along with the ships from the Marseilles water company to provide about 6 % of the daily water consumption of the Catalan capital. The contract was signed in April and deliveries are due to continue for six months.

This is of course a very expensive procedure. If water leaving Marseilles is about 1 euro per cubic metre, by the time it reaches Barcelona, its cost will have risen to 8 or 10 euros. Blue gold indeed.

Source Développment durable le journal (in French)

4 comments:

  1. I think that global warming is going to make a lot of people re-evaluate something as fundamental as where to live.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I didn't watch the informations on TV this week so I learn something. Never tought one day the water would reach a such price!!!!
    each day brings us such news: today it was the price of oil!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I had no idea... Sounds a bit crazy to transport it, but what to do...

    I hope we'll have enough water in the future!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good point Solomon, but it will take ages to redistribute populations. And the ones that can afford to go will be the first to leave no doubt.

    I know Claudie, prices are rising faster than I've ever known.

    Hi Lifecruiser, yes I thought it was ridiculous to transport water like that, but they are desperate in Barcelona.

    ReplyDelete

Forethoughts, afterthoughts, any thoughts. Tell me.

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