Spain, which is suffering its worst drought in 40 years, has resorted to importing drinking water from Marseilles, the Independent reported yesterday. The first water-carrying tanker unloaded 36 million litres of drinking water in Barcelona, where chronic shortages have forced the local government to import water from both domestic and international sources. In May this year 20 million litres of water were imported from Tarragona. Even with hose-pipe restrictions and swimming pool bans, the water only reached 180,000 of the city's one and a half million inhabitants and was guzzled down within minutes.

The city's parched predicament has been caused by two seasons of failed winter rains, but many groups claim that the city's response to the problem should be geared toward long term solutions rather than the quick-fix. Scientists and policy-makers have forewarned that climate change will lead to water becoming a valued and struggled after commodity, and Barcelona's current situation reflects that prediction perfectly.

French environmental groups have criticized the decision to sell such massive amounts of water to Barcelona, fearing that if a dry summer affects their Mediterranean coast this year then they could face similar water shortage issues. Other Spanish regions condemned the decision earlier this month to transport water from the wells in Tarragona to Barcelona, as they claimed that they needed it more.

Much of Spain's water is used in the south of the country, in semi-arid areas where farmers are still cultivating the land. The country's doddery infrastructure and inefficient irrigation practices have been blamed for loosing water, as to do tourist areas, with their swimming pools and golf courses, use huge amounts of water in the country's sweltering summer heat.

The country's socialist government have indicated that they believe desalination plants to be the best solution to the country's water shortage. Although they are common feature of wealthy European regions, the plants use a high amount of energy and release an associated level of C02, a green house gas.

Despite a short period of recent rainfall, Catalan's reservoirs are still far below their average for this time of the year - most are around two-thirds empty. Residents fear that the government's failure to adequately deal with the droughts could raise the prospect of water rationing this summer, which would also effect tourists visiting the unique city.

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