When a storm hits their village in northeastern Spain, Marcela and Maria Cinta Otamendi rush to the coast, day or night, to check on their restaurant and rice fields, fearing the sea may have swallowed them.
That fear has deepened in recent years as the Mediterranean has encroached upon the land their father bought in 1951 in the Ebro River Delta, a 320 square km (124 square mile) UNESCO Biosphere Reserve rich in wetland wildlife such as flamingos.
The plan has prompted strong opposition from officials and farmers in the Ebro Delta - where 62,000 people live and lucrative rice fields account for 65% of the area - illustrating how governments are starting to face tough choices as they try to adapt to increasing environmental risks.
The Taula de Consens association representing local municipalities and businesses says the proposal amounts to capitulation. It is gathering signatures for the European Ombudsman to investigate what it calls authorities' inaction.
Some areas of the delta form part of the EU's environmentally-protected-network Natura 2000. European Commission officials said they were not aware of Spain's plan.
The Taula wants six million cubic meters of sand brought in to guarantee the beaches' survival for 50 years at a cost of about 30 million euros ($35 million), said its technical director, Rafa Sanchez, who praised the Netherlands' use of sand for staving off the rising seas.
ADAPTING OR MOVING AWAY?
The fear of extreme weather wiping out the delta crystallized in January 2020 when storm Gloria flooded around 3,000 hectares of rice fields.
It temporarily submerged a thin strip connecting the mainland to the delta's southern peninsula, which has a major salt plain dating back to the 1700s.
It was a wake-up call for its operator Infosa, which is now seeking to build a ship-loading dock.
"Climate change is our biggest challenge and threat," said Infosa's chief executive Manel Salvado.
Before & After
. Deltebre, Spain. Reuters/Joan Ferrer
. Deltebre, Spain. Reuters/Joan Ferrer
Before: The family home of Joan Ferrer stands in flood water after storm Gloria in February 2020. After: The family home of Joan Ferrer in October 2021.
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The storm also flooded Joan Ferrer's rice fields 3 km inland, costing him nearly 15,000 euros.
The 32-year-old takes pride in being a fourth-generation rice farmer, and although he has discussed with his wife the possibility of moving inland, he is participating in a local project to grow high salinity-resistant rice.
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And while Marcela Otamendi increasingly feels like a stranger on her land, which shrank by nearly a third since 1993, she prefers not to think about leaving: "First, we have to fight to the limit."
(Photo editing Kezia Levitas; Text editing Gareth Jones; Layout Julia Dalrymple)