Main environmental problems

SPAIN

Main Environmental Problems

What are the current main environmental problems in Spain?

Why is Spain different from the rest of Europe?

Spain is the driest country in Europe. It has a weaker vegetal cover compared with other countries and the distribution of rain is very unequal. The quantity of surface water is also lower.Appart from that, human action doesn't help in this direction, making the situation worse.

Atmospheric Pollution

It is common in urban areas, power plants and industrial areas. It is a consequence of human activities but also for natural factors. Atmospheric stability also makes pollution to concentrate in certain areas.Power plants, for example, produces sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides and also carbon dioxide. This gases are responsible of global heating and greenhouse effect.

Water resources and quality

The population and the industry cause the contamination of water due to wastewater discharges. This pollution spread very fast in water. The coast is specially vulnerable to this contamination.

Loss of vegetation cover, erosion and desertification

The vegetation cover is being lost due to factors as deforestation to get farmlands and pasture, to construct roads or infrastructures, forest fires, ....Desertification means the ecosystem transforming into desert. It can be a natural process or it can be caused by human action.

Urban and industrial waste

Human and industrial activities create a big quantity of waste, faster than they can be eliminated. This waste has to be treated.In Spain yearly the production of toxic and dangerous waste if 1,8 tons.

Natural risks as part of the environmental problems

They are difficult to control.Examples are hailstorms, wind storms, cold waves or persistent rains, mainly in the north and north-west; heat waves or cold drop in the South and East.

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