The platform Let’s save Doñana calls on citizens to participate on Sunday in Seville in an act of protest against the irrigation law that the Junta de Andalucía promotes because, according to this platform, “it calls farmers to deceive about the availability of water, encourages deforestation in Doñana and, therefore, it means increasing the serious deterioration of the Doñana Natural Area and its aquifer.
The Junta de Andalucía has suspended the processing of the law until after the Municipal Elections and the Salvemos Platform Donana encourages citizens to show the competent governments their rejection of the expansion of irrigation and the abusive use of water that is being made, seriously harming the Doñana Natural Area, its ecosystems and the excellence of the Doñana Brand.
Salvemos Doñana demands the withdrawal of the proposed law, that the ‘Strawberry Plan’ be strictly complied with, a boost to due diligence processes in environmental and human rights matters in agricultural companies and the restoration of underground water systems and surface areas of Doñana and its degraded ecosystems (forests, marshes, Guadiamar river, Guadalquivir estuary).
Let’s save Doñana in Seville
Next Sunday, May 14, a demonstration will take place in Seville convened by the Salvemos Doñana Platform, in which civil society will demand from the Governments their responsibilities towards Doñana.
The event begins in the central Alameda de Hércules, in the columns located at the confluence of Trajano and Amor de Dios streets, and will travel through the streets of Seville to the door of the Parliament of Andalusia, an institution that represents the will of the Andalusian citizens. Let’s Save Doñana expects a large influx of people from all parts of Andalusia and many from the rest of the country.
“In the current situation of global warming, water has been a very scarce resource for decades. The economic model of our days is from the 19th century and is far from adapting to the new situation of water scarcity. The Doñana protected area is going through an unprecedented diversity crisis due to the effects of overexploitation and a dry cycle that has lasted twelve years. In this scenario that is the current and the future, it is necessary to adapt and go together all the inhabitants of the region, the agents involved and the administrations.
We must row in the same direction, towards a new economic model of collective solidarity that has the conservation of Doñana in the center, because otherwise, there will be no waterthere will be no future, there will be no Doñana, there will be no agriculture, there will be no tourism and the Doñana Brand will have lost its excellence and distinction,” says the Salvemos Doñana Platform.
They also add in their statement that “Doñana is drying up and the Junta de Andalucía, far from being coherent with the situation of persistent drought and deterioration of the aquifer, the ecosystems and the species of Doñana, proposes to approve a law to ‘forgive’ those who are committing serious infractions: rainfed farms that have been stealing water from the aquifer for years and crops created with the illegal destruction of forest areas that also steal water.
All amnestied, but without the right to water. The Board has processed before the Municipal Elections the law for the second time, let us remember that the first was before the last Autonomous Elections, by fast track to bypass public participation and mandatory reports and thus avoiding in-depth knowledge of what is to be done and exactly how as well as the consequences.
They want to make Andalusians think that by building infrastructures that actually serve other economic purposes that have nothing to do with Doñana, such as the Alcolea dam to damm up water from historical mining that is not acceptable for the ecosystems of Doñana or for people’s health, everything would be solved. But the point is that there is no water, and neither is there in Doñana.
41 entities
The Salvemos Doñana Platform and the 41 entities that make up its Coordinator have recovered their spirit of struggle and mobilization because we are convinced and convinced that by uniting and mobilizing we can ‘Save Doñana again’ from unreason and of the interests created around the water resource that do not report an improvement in the quality of life or guarantee the conservation of its values to Doñana.
From this initiative they intend to give citizens the voice that has been usurped from them by not having been able to make allegations and. With actions and mobilizations, we will send the requests contained in our Manifesto on the water of Doñana published in www.salvemosdoñana.eswhich is being supported by thousands of people and hundreds of entities through their signature on that website.
The document is translated into several languages because Doñana is from Andalusia and is a World Heritage Site, so that people from other countries who share it and want to demand the protection of Doñana, its water, its values and with it, its future can join. Let’s Save Doñana invites all kinds of entities and citizens to make themselves heard with their support signature in defense of Doñana”.
The demonstration next Sunday, the 14th in Seville will be accompanied by the batucada Yemú Yembá of female percussionists and will end with the reading of the synthesis of the manifesto by people recognized and loved by the Andalusian people, followed by a poetic act offered by the La Dhákira Sociocultural Association.
