Friday, July 07, 2006
Telegraph
Spain is developing into a nightmareBy Fiona Govan in Valencia
(Filed: 06/07/2006)
Poor planning, local corruption and the flaunting of EU environmental guidelines are turning Spain's coastline into a "deep ulcer" of urban development that is polluting beaches and poisoning the sea, according to a report yesterday.
The swath of holiday homes, hotels and golf courses spreading across popular coasts are rapidly destroying ecosystems the country relies on for tourism and fishing, said the environmental group Greenpeace in a 73-page study.
High-rise apartments crowd the beach in Benidorm
"The Spanish coastline is defenceless," implored María José Caballero, the coast campaigner for Greenpeace in Spain, at the publication of the report. "Although citizens are increasingly aware of the degradation it is facing, no administration is taking the challenge seriously."
Greenpeace said rapid growth could do long-term damage to the tourism industry, which accounts for more than 10 per cent of the Spanish economy.
Up to 12.5 million Britons visit every year and the report said part of the problem is the huge number of second homes being built to meet the demand from foreign investors, with Britons leading the field.
An estimated 35 per cent of residences on the Mediterranean coastline are holiday homes, with 70 per cent in some areas, such as Roses and L'Escala on the Costa Brava.
Miss Caballero said yesterday that those considering buying property should think carefully.
"It is the responsibility of each person to make a considered decision. Buying a second home in certain areas will contribute to the destruction of the Spanish coastline. It's difficult to enjoy a holiday with that knowledge."
The report has identified 286 blackspots on Spain's 5,000-mile coastline, where development has been the least sustainable, has caused the greatest pollution, and where there is most evidence of corruption.
The Valencia region, with its popular tourist destinations along the Costa Blanca, tops the list with 57, followed by Galicia with 46, and Andalusia, home to the Costa del Sol, with 40.
The Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands were also criticised.
Some coastal municipalities have almost three-quarters of their shore fully urbanised half a mile inland, with the Costa del Sol suffering the most over-development.
Greenpeace estimates that some 20 per cent of Spain's coastline is now urban and a further 40 per cent has lost its natural state.
As a result, the sea is suffering contamination from sewage and industrial run-off, forcing the closure of 15 per cent of swimming beaches over the past 13 years. The report detailed 99 cases of pollution of coastal waters and warned of the damage suffered by some marine life while causing others, such as jellyfish, to proliferate.
"Thirteen per cent of urban and industrial waste waters reach the sea without any form of treatment," the report stated, noting that several places such as Ferrol in Galicia, Algeciras in Andalusia and Benalmadena on the Costa del Sol lack proper water treatment facilities.
The report also cites 102 cases of official corruption in coastal areas, notably in Marbella and Alicante, which have revealed embezzlement, kickbacks and influence peddling in the coastal property boom.
More than 60 arrests have been made in Marbella after it emerged earlier this year that property developers were given preferential treatment after paying out millions of pounds in bribes to officials.
Many of the new developments are illegal with up to 4,500 homes, many of them owned by Britons, facing demolition.
A spokesman for Spain's ministry of environment declined to comment on the findings of the report.
Spain is developing into a nightmareBy Fiona Govan in Valencia
(Filed: 06/07/2006)
Poor planning, local corruption and the flaunting of EU environmental guidelines are turning Spain's coastline into a "deep ulcer" of urban development that is polluting beaches and poisoning the sea, according to a report yesterday.
The swath of holiday homes, hotels and golf courses spreading across popular coasts are rapidly destroying ecosystems the country relies on for tourism and fishing, said the environmental group Greenpeace in a 73-page study.
High-rise apartments crowd the beach in Benidorm
"The Spanish coastline is defenceless," implored María José Caballero, the coast campaigner for Greenpeace in Spain, at the publication of the report. "Although citizens are increasingly aware of the degradation it is facing, no administration is taking the challenge seriously."
Greenpeace said rapid growth could do long-term damage to the tourism industry, which accounts for more than 10 per cent of the Spanish economy.
Up to 12.5 million Britons visit every year and the report said part of the problem is the huge number of second homes being built to meet the demand from foreign investors, with Britons leading the field.
An estimated 35 per cent of residences on the Mediterranean coastline are holiday homes, with 70 per cent in some areas, such as Roses and L'Escala on the Costa Brava.
Miss Caballero said yesterday that those considering buying property should think carefully.
"It is the responsibility of each person to make a considered decision. Buying a second home in certain areas will contribute to the destruction of the Spanish coastline. It's difficult to enjoy a holiday with that knowledge."
The report has identified 286 blackspots on Spain's 5,000-mile coastline, where development has been the least sustainable, has caused the greatest pollution, and where there is most evidence of corruption.
The Valencia region, with its popular tourist destinations along the Costa Blanca, tops the list with 57, followed by Galicia with 46, and Andalusia, home to the Costa del Sol, with 40.
The Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands were also criticised.
Some coastal municipalities have almost three-quarters of their shore fully urbanised half a mile inland, with the Costa del Sol suffering the most over-development.
Greenpeace estimates that some 20 per cent of Spain's coastline is now urban and a further 40 per cent has lost its natural state.
As a result, the sea is suffering contamination from sewage and industrial run-off, forcing the closure of 15 per cent of swimming beaches over the past 13 years. The report detailed 99 cases of pollution of coastal waters and warned of the damage suffered by some marine life while causing others, such as jellyfish, to proliferate.
"Thirteen per cent of urban and industrial waste waters reach the sea without any form of treatment," the report stated, noting that several places such as Ferrol in Galicia, Algeciras in Andalusia and Benalmadena on the Costa del Sol lack proper water treatment facilities.
The report also cites 102 cases of official corruption in coastal areas, notably in Marbella and Alicante, which have revealed embezzlement, kickbacks and influence peddling in the coastal property boom.
More than 60 arrests have been made in Marbella after it emerged earlier this year that property developers were given preferential treatment after paying out millions of pounds in bribes to officials.
Many of the new developments are illegal with up to 4,500 homes, many of them owned by Britons, facing demolition.
A spokesman for Spain's ministry of environment declined to comment on the findings of the report.
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