Ebro Delta, Catalonia (Spain)

The Ebro Delta faces significant challenges linked to coastal erosion and retreat, including reduced sediment supply and sea level rise, with much of the delta at risk of erosion in the future. In 2020, the Gloria storm provoked extensive flooding, saline water intrusion, and damage to the delta’s land, lagoons, and rice fields, exposing the vulnerability of the delta.

Two LIFE projects have aimed at enhancing the Ebro Delta’s resilience to sea level rise by restoring the hydrological connectivity between lagoons and the sea, allowing marine storms to increase sediment inputs into the lagoons. The projects covered a total of 62 hectares.

Sediment reuse from various sources implementing innovative techniques were tested and implemented.

Rice fields were converted into coastal lagoons, and an aquaculture facility was transformed into a salt marsh habitat through the improvement of the hydrological network. Small islands were created as nesting sites for seabirds.

Constructed wetlands were optimised by improving water flow, enhancing soil elevation, and increasing carbon sequestration. Novel practices in rice cultivation were applied, reducing greenhouse gas emissions while boosting carbon storage.

A Climate Action Plan for the Ebro Delta created with input from local stakeholders, was approved as part of Catalonia’s climate planning. However, many responsibilities for its implementation rest with the Spanish Government, which has launched a coastal restoration plan in response to storm Gloria in 2020.

The work was supported by a participatory process with local stakeholders, including the rice sector, irrigation communities and nature conservation NGOs. Prior to these two projects, the biggest restoration works took place on the Isle of Buda, covering 1200 hectares, including 350 ha of rice fields and 850 of natural environments. The island hosts the third biggest rice producing company in Spain.

As part of this project:

– The riverbanks were protected from erosion by means of soft engineering and the planting of forest species typical of riverside forests.

– Eutrophication was prevented by installing hydraulic infrastructures in the drainage channels of the rice paddies to control the flow of water from the paddies to the lagoons.