Salinization and the deterioration of water quality are the main threats affecting the Albufera Natural Park, an emblematic area located a short distance from the city of Valencia. The current situation has once again brought the debate about the future of this valuable ecosystem to the forefront, forty years after it was declared a protected area.
Both environmental groups and rice farmers, the main stakeholders and defenders of the park, agree on the urgency of acting to improve the conservation status of the Albufera. However, their priorities in addressing the problem present significant differences.
Environmentalists link the advance of salinization to the erosion of the sandy bar separating the park from the sea and to the impact generated by the Port of Valencia. Furthermore, they demand the immediate blocking of wastewater reaching this wetland, considering it an additional source of pollution.
For their part, farmers focus their concern on the insufficient supply of fresh water to the park, as well as the rise in the water table. They also express their unease about the potential consequences that the presence of salt may have on rice cultivation, the basis of the area's economy and tradition.
