Xàbia among the Spanish towns with a high risk of poverty
Dec 30th
A study carried out by the AIS group reveals that Dénia and Xàbia are among the municipalities in Spain having more than 25,000 inhabitants with more than 30% of the population at risk of poverty and social exclusion. The AIS Group study is based on the methodology of the Institute fro National Statistics following criteria recommended by Eurostat. For this purpose, the following are considered to be risk-of-poverty situations: single-person households with incomes below € 8,011 per year, or € 668 per month (without imputed rent), or households of 2 adults and 2 children with Income less than € 16,823 per year, or € 1,401 per month. According to the list, 32.6% of the population of Xàbia would be in that situation, while in Denia the percentage is a little lower: 30.7%. According to these figures, Xàbia would be the Alicante town with the fourth highest population at risk after Torrevieja (36.6%), Orihuela (33.6%) and Benidorm (35.6%). Immediately behind Xàbia are Dénia and Elda, both with 30.7%. Another 16 municipalities in the province are also listed, with percentages between 22.6% in Alicante and 29.8% in Santa Pola. From La Marina Plaza
Despite the December rain - reservoirs at their lowest for seven years
Dec 30th
The reservoirs in the Valencian Community received a welcome top-up in December, however they still remain low (1,049 Hm3) at around 30% of their full capacity (3,347 Hm), lower than any figure since 2009 (996 Hm3) and below the average of the past 10 years. Without the December rains the reservoirs would have stored only 863 Hm3. Some reservoirs experienced a massive increase in reserves e.g. the Guadalest reservoir. The water in Beniarrés reservoir (on the Serpis) increased in volume seven fold. From Las Provincias Dec 30th print edition.
Xabia launches plan to use water from sewerage plant for irrigation
Dec 28th
Councillors, farmers, AMJASA and the director general of Agriculture have met to take the first steps to use the 5000m3 of water produced by the sewerage plant each day for irrigation of agricultural land on the Pla and for maintenance of municipal gardens. A Water Reuse Project of the Water Treatment Plant must be drawn up to be sent to the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation for assessment and authorisation. The project aims to be developed throughout 2017 and 2018. At the same time, farmers interested in using this water to replace that of wells that have dried or salinized need to be identified. The purified water would be distributed the networks of pipes that Amjasa has in disuse throughout the Pla area. The Xàbia treatment plant is not equipped with the so-called third phase, that allows purified water to be potable. The design capacity of the plant is 8000m3. from : La Marina Plaza
The December rains equal the rain throughout the rest of the year
Dec 26th
The rainy and windy storm of last weekend made records for 2016. This was not very difficult because it had been a dry year, with a significant water deficit. According to data from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) compiled by the Valencian Association of Meteorology (Avamet), it rained practically as much in December as in the previous eleven months put together.
from January to October no month reached 50mm. Ff the 268.2 mm recorded this December, the vast majority, 179.6, correspond to the four days of the recent storm. From: La Marina Plaza
The sweet smell of success: Spain’s crisis-busting Christmas town
Dec 26th
..Estepa is just one of the Spanish towns that make a living off of special Christmas sweets. Medina Sidonia in Cádiz, Jijona in Alicante, and Sonseca in Toledo are other examples of where the lucrative industry has taken off. According to the Infoempresa business database, the top 32 turrón manufactures are experiencing business growth, and last year they sold produce worth €440 million. Beyond just making sweets, these towns have all reaped the benefits of becoming tourist attractions. People flock from all over to buy boxes of fresh sweets, learn how they’re made and get into the Christmas spirit. full story on: El Pais in English
Arctic ice melt 'already affecting weather patterns where you live right now'
Dec 19th
Soaring Arctic temperatures ‘strongly linked’ to recent extreme weather events, say scientists at cutting edge of climate change research…The jet stream forms a boundary between the cold north and the warmer south, but the lower temperature difference means the winds are now weaker. This means the jet stream meanders more, with big loops bringing warm air to the frozen north and cold air into warmer southern climes. Furthermore, researchers say, the changes mean the loops can remain stuck over regions for weeks, rather than being blown westwards as in the past. This “blocking” effect means extreme events can unfold. From: The Guardian (Eds note: Just for the record, Here's the Jetstream for Monday December 19th..Image from Netweather Jetstream forecast)
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December storm hits 20 provinces
Dec 19th
A total of 20 provinces were on yellow or orange alert this Saturday for snow, rain, wind or coastal phenomena, especially in the Mediterranean area, on the Cantabrian coast and the Atlantic cornice and in the archipelagos of the Balearic and Canary Islands. (El Español) By the Sunday Granada, Almeria, Murcia, Alicante, Valencia and the southern province of Teruel were on orange alert for the storm will not begin to subside until Monday afternoon. The storm claimed two lives. rainfall of up to 200mm in 12 hours was possible, and force 8 winds. from ABC.es
Hotel maids in Spain rebel against low salaries
Dec 19th
Spain is enjoying a surge in visitors, but hotel maids are not reaping the rewards and are rebelling against their low salaries, which can be as little as two euros to clean a room. The country, which welcomed over 68 million foreign tourists last year - its third consecutive year of record numbers - employs around 100,000 hotel maids, according to union estimates….Over the past two years more and more maids have been challenging their contracts in courts and coming out in the press with tales of exploitation in the world's third most visited country. "In numerous hotels directly-hired staff have been replaced" by employees of service firms, said Ernest Canada, the author of a book on hotel maids. Maids who work for such firms are not governed by the collective labour agreement for housekeeping staff, but the one for the cleaning sector, and are paid up to 40 percent less than their peers. For full story see: The Local.es
Population of Valencian community falls
Dec 14th
The National Statistics Institute report reveals that during 2015 there were more deaths than births in the Valencian community, reflecting a general trend in Spain. The birth rate in the region is at its lowest since 1975 at 8 births per 1000 people, as compared with 20 births in 1976. Couples have fewer children than before, and later. The current demographic trend of a loss of 340 inhabitatnts per month is attributed to "the sharp decline in immigration flows and increased emigration." and the declining birth rate since 2011. "Both factors lead to greater aging of the population in Spain. By having an aging demographic structure, deaths increase as life expectancy continues to grow and infant mortality decreases . " However, life expectancy in the Region, which stands at 82.2 years in 2015 experienced a slight decline. And was lower for the first time after ten years of increase.
From: Las Provincias
During 2015 49,500 people emigrated abroad in the Region and reached 43,600. Again a balance of 6,000 people least migration flows.
Number of building licences now exceeds last year's
Dec 14th
The pace of construction continues to rise in Xàbia. A few days after the end of November, the council had already granted 93 permits, compared to 92 in all of 2015 and 88 in 2014. There are another 121 building licenses in the pipeline. During 2006, before the building bubble burst, 184 licenses were granted, to reach its lowest in 2011 with only 50. from La Marina Plaza.
Spain: Saving of 515 million litres of water in tomato cultivation.
Dec 6th
Since 2014, the "Solís Responsable" ("Responsible Solis") initiative has allowed Nestlé to save 515 million litres of water in the integrated production of all tomatoes used as raw material at its plant in Miajadas (Caceres), equivalent to the monthly consumption of a population of 118,000 people. The use of irrigation water has been reduced by 9% by setting up sensors that keep track of soil moisture and the harvest stage. Furthermore, the field is fertilised depending on the needs of the tomatoes and the soil is allowed to rest in a cyclical way with crop rotation. This technique has made it possible to reduce the use of fertilisers by 16%. Since 2014, "Solís Responsable" has also entailed a 13% reduction in the use of pest control products. For full story in English see: Fresh Plaza
Carrefour Spain holds its first Sustainable Fishery Forum
Dec 5th
On December 1st, Carrefour Spain held its first Sustainable Fishery Forum with the aim of boosting measures to preserve the biodiversity and sustainability of fishery products. The event took place in the auditorium of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery, Food and Environment. Because of its diversity and quantity, the fisheries sector constitutes a major challenge in terms of sustainability, and Carrefour therefore works on requirements such as traceability, selection of fishing grounds, respect for minimum sizes and promotion of local fisheries. In 2007 Carrefour signed a collaboration agreement with FROM, and since 2008 it has carried out audits both on the reception platform and its suppliers. Agreements for the protection of traditional fishing such as bream and sea bass, and participation in the “Pesca de ría” programme of the Xunta de Galicia, underpin the company’s commitment. For full story see: EPR Retail news
