Donana disaster

`Donana disaster`

DONANA: Preliminary environmental assessment
made by SEO/BirdLife (BirdLife Partner in Spain)

Impact of the Aznalcollar mines spilling into the Do¤ana area, Spanish Important Bird Area no. 244 and partially designated as SPA No. 24 under the EC 79/409 Birds Directive

Contradictions between information from different public bodies on the impact of the mine spilling into different areas of very high nature conservation value prompted SEO/BirdLife (BirdLife Partner in Spain) to send a three-person team to make an urgent and independent assessment of the situation in Do¤ana.

Background
The problem has been well known for 10 years ago but no useful actions have been taken to avoid the damage to this wetland, which has the highest value in the EU.

1988 SEO/BirdLife with the support of RSPB (BirdLife Partner in the UK) made a formal complaint to the European Commission about the lack of effective protection and four major threats to the conservation of the Donana.

1990 The European Commission opened an infringement procedure against Spain because of four clear threats to the Conservation of Do¤ana in wide sense (Guadalquivir marshes).
1. Analysis of water quality showed places polluted with metals including cadmium, zinc, lead and copper
2 The Almonte Marismas irrigation plan
3 The Costa Do¤ana urbanisation plan
4 The insufficient number of wardens to control illegal hunting in the National Park

1990 The National Park answered the European Commission about the pollution problems from the Aznalc?llar mines with the following "_It is true that the activities of the mine were causing problems in the past but these are completely solved_"

Immense natural value
Because of its international importance, part of the IBA has been designated as protected under regional, national, EU and international legal protection: Natural Park (54,250 hectares), National Park (50,720 hectares), Biosphere Reserve (77,260 hectares) and Special Protection Area (50,720 hectares). In total about 132,000 hectares are protected. Do¤ana has also been recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO . The area holds 6 million migratory birds each year.

Results from fieldwork by SEO/BirdLife in the Do¤ana area 2 4 May 1998
The waters in the Do¤ana are not compartmentalised in different boxes according to whether they are protected or not. Water can There are surface connections between the different areas and the National Park because of holes in channels and inadequate operation of flood gates. There are also connections between the systems inside and outside the National Park through the ground water.

Main areas affected directly by sediments and/or polluted water
· The total surface area that is highly polluted is at least 9,500 hectares.
· River forest (over 60 kms), containing halophytic species protected by the habitats directive, mud is being used by thousand of waders as feeding habitat.
· Pollution of crops 7 days after the disaster a pumping engine was still pumping polluted water through channels, polluting new farming areas without knowledge by the administrative body responsible for water management. After SEO discovered this and published the fact in the media, pumping stopped. This shows clearly the lack of actions taken to prevent more damage
· Pollution of water in the National Park in nine different areas.
· Pollution of 590 hectares of SPA and Natural Park. 7 days after the disaster the polluted water in this area was still extremely acid (pH 4,5)

Consequences of the lack of coordination action
The first dam, built only by the regional administration, was too small to stop the polluted water from entering the Natural Park. In parallel the national administration was building another dam to stop the polluted water getting into the National Park. Eventually, the water has got into the National Park through nine different points.

Fauna of high nature conservation value very seriously affected
· Mammals   otter;
· Endemic fishes of the Iberian peninsula (protected by the Habitats Directive )   Barbus comiza and Cobitis paludica);
· Birds   hundreds of White Storks, tens of black kites, hundreds of waders, hundreds of herons, etc. On 5 May the first dead White Stork was analysed and proved dead by poisoning due to high levels of heavy metals in differents organs and tissues
· Expected increase in bird deaths to high level in forthcoming weeks.

URGENT PROPOSALS
· Public information on the results of waters and mud analysis (quantities, sites, etc.)
· Public awareness campaign to the local people (farmers, etc.)
· Action plan to coordinate the different administrations involved
· Exhaustive analysis of samples of water and soil in all the area
· Take-away daily all the aquatic and terrestrial fauna dead by pollution,
· Remove all the mud following the instructions of the adhoc scientific committee on Do¤ana disaster.
· Designation of the Natural Park as SPA to fulfil the Birds Directive obligations
· Take political decisions with the aim to clarify responsibilities

MEDIUM TERM PROPOSALS
· Follow the recommendation of the "Do¤ana_s Scientific Group" and allow the participation of NGOs that aim for nature conservation
· Create a monitoring committee with wide public participation to evaluate and ensure the fulfilment of the actions agreed.
· Elaborate different alternatives to ensure removing the polluted mad before the autumn in case of adverse weather conditions
· Design a plan to assess and monitor the impact on affected fauna for the next years
· Monitor the quality of soils, agriculture products, livestock, fish etc. for the next years
· Elaborate a long term action plan to restore and recover the natural value affected by the ecological tragedy.

CONCLUSIONS
The area of Guadalquivir Marshes is an ecological unit. Birds do not realise political boundaries such as National Park, Natural Park, SPA, etc. Many bird species that breed in the National Park feed in the Natural Park and the IBA. Storks and kites that breed in the IBA are feeding on poisoned fishes in the Natural Park.

SEO/BirdLife is calling for mining activity to be banned in the area. They also recommend that the roles of the regional and national administration are reviewed to avoid future mistakes. In this case it took 6 days for the national and regional administration to begin to work together. Political decisions are needed as to the responsibilities of the Ministry of the Environment, the Water Management Body, the Regional Ministry for Environment and the Regional Ministry for Industry. In contradiction of information from the Ministry of Environment that "We have saved the National Park", SEO has found nine points where polluted water entered the National Park

For More Information:
Fran Romero, SEO/BirdLife Officer in Do¤ana: +34 929 25 62 69 (Mobile phone)
Juan Criado, SEO/BirdLife Officer for Species & Habitats Conservation: +34 989 466463 (mobile phone)
SEO/BirdLife Centre in Do¤ana: +34 959 506093
Dr Alejandro S nchez, Director General of SEO/BirdLife: +34 91 351 10 45