In Spain, the ruins of a village resurface due to drought

The ruins of an ancient village resurface in Spain. Located in the current Sau reservoir in Catalonia, this town, now erased from the map, is visible due to the drop in water levels linked to the drought which is hitting the north of the country. An exceptional situation for this time of year.

In drone images shared by the Catalan Press Agency on February 1, the homes which belonged to the commune of Saint Romà de Sau, as well as its church dating from the 11th century, have completely resurfaced. This building is notably used as an indicator of the level of drought in the region. When only the tip of the church tower appears, the Sau reservoir is full. But when the building is completely open to view, this reflects an alarming lack of water.

The Sau reservoir is one of the nine reservoirs in Catalonia. It is the second largest in terms of capacity and usually supplies six million people with water. According to El Nacional, the latter is currently only filled to 4.7% of its capacity. Never has such a low level been observed since its creation 60 years ago. “As I have been saying for three years, I do not see the end of the drought in Catalonia. We can therefore say that we are entering unknown territory,” worries Javier Martin Vide, professor of geography at the University of Barcelona, ​​in the columns of El Confidencial.

The city of Barcelona and its outskirts have been placed in a drought “state of emergency” since February 1. Water consumption restrictions are imposed on the region's 6 million inhabitants. These restrictions also affect the industry and agriculture sector.