Destruction at all costs: Andalucía

Por/By Pablo Gomez (8) |

15 October 2009 |

Categoría / Category: Articles, Organisations |

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Extract from the report “Destruction at all costs, 2009,” Greenpeace image of the ENP

Andalusia has 53,282 hectares of coastal-marine protected area. In other words, of which measures 979.5 kilometers off its coast, is protected, at least on the map, 286.2 km, ie almost 30% of its coastline. This region pioneered twenty years ago to enact a law adopted by the inventory of protected natural areas of Andalusia and set out measures for their protection (Law 2 / 1989, Inventory of Natural Areas Protected Andalusia).

On November 27, 2008, the Andalusian Parliament approved the new Law 1 / 2008, tax and financial measures and promoting economic activity. Under cellophane to combat the economic crisis, the Andalusian Government changed laws to ten, seven of which relate to the environment. The new text approved, inter alia, an amendment to the Law on Spatial Planning of Andalusia (LOUA) to enable the Board to declare a “autonomous” action it deems appropriate, which requires sub-plans to adapt.

Standard retouching and makeup articles of the Law 1 / 1994 of Land, the Law 2 / 1989, Inventory of Natural Areas Protected Andalusia; 12/1984 of the statement of the Odiel Marshes Natural Area and as the Enmedio Island and the marshes of the Donkey as reserves, and 8 / 1999, of the Doñana Natural Area and the 3 / 2003 of the Paraje Natural de Alborán. The change in law means that in natural parks (the Odiel marshes, Doñana, Sierra de Aracena) are exempt from the required approval of the environmental authority.

This creates a legal loophole to save the relevant studies and environmental impact statements on those actions that are deemed to be “not threaten the values of protection.”

URBAN GROWTH
According to the Ministry of the Environment, between 1956 and 2003 the Andalusian cities increased its five built, an increase occurred at the expense of eliminating agricultural land (by 76.40%) and forest (23.17%). This has been disproportionate growth well above population growth. This fact is reflected in so-called medium-sized cities between 50.000-100.000 inhabitants, who have increased their population by half a 115.9% since 1956 but, however, have a 593.6% increase in floor area.

Among the problems that uncontrolled development, the Board refers to the purification of water, energy consumption, waste management or ownership called urban spaces adjacent to the city (urban area expansion that causes, among other things, the dependence of the car and the consumption of soil).

Marina of ANDALUSIA
In this region boat registrations have fallen by 10% over the previous year, in Andalusia (which has a current list of 15,654 berths, 18.3% in Spain), the network of marinas will increase its supply of berths 11%. The crisis begins to be felt in the field of recreational boating, but the Board continues to believe that this segment of tourism quality and to give an impetus to the challenge of Andalusia with 25,000 berths by 2015. To do this has already begun the expansion of four ports and the construction of another more than 2,000 new seats will the pontoons.

According to the Public Agency Port Andalusia (APPA), these first results are visible in the ports of Punta Umbria (Huelva) and Garrucha (Almería), which are already running to house the works in his sheet of water up to 70 and 350 boats, respectively. They will join 600 outstanding opening berth in the port of San Andrés (Malaga) and 200 more in the port of El Terrón Lepe (Huelva). And you’re running the new port in La Alcaidesa La Linea (Cadiz), with capacity for 763 boats.

For the new ports, the only ones who have kept the future of Torrox (Malaga) and Salobreña (Granada), although the latter case is pending the approval of the Coastal Subregional of Granada. The same happens with the project pending approval in this case river stones in the river (Huelva), which is equipped with a dock with a capacity to accommodate 1500 boats. In an embryonic stage, as is the feasibility study, three other projects are concentrated in the port area of Mijas, San Pedro de Alcantara and the east coast of Malaga. An investment of 900 million euros for the use and enjoyment of the privileged few with a high environmental cost.