This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

251255Z Aug 05

UNCLAS MADRID 003044 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE AND OES/ETC; USDA FOR FOREST SERVICE; 
INTERIOR FOR NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE; 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV SOCI SP
SUBJECT: FOREST FIRES AND DROUGHT RAVAGE SPAIN 
 
 
¶1.  Spain is suffering its second worse year in the last 
decade in terms of total hectares lost to forest fires.  From 
January 1 through August 14, 2005, Spain lost 107,524 square 
hectares to forest fires.  The 1995-2005 average for this 
same period was 79,621.  Thus, the current year is 32 percent 
above the decade average.  The worst year in the last decade 
was 2003, when Spain lost 125,388 square hectares to forest 
fires over the same period.  The areas hardest hit have been 
northeast Spain, followed by the country's central regions. 
The Mediterranean coastline has been least affected. 
 
 
¶2.  The death of 11 firefighters on July 17 in Guadalajara 
and the total of 15 deaths during the summer fire season have 
ensured that fires have stayed in the headlines.  The deaths 
have prompted calls for the government to reform firefighting 
practices and change land management practices.  Current land 
management regulations work to encourage some land owners to 
deliberately start fires in order to gain permission (and at 
times government subsidies) to rezone their land to permit 
development.  The government is also considering increasing 
both prison sentences and the prosecution rate for arsonists. 
 (NOTE: Currently, deliberately set fires rarely result in 
prosecutions and those few that are brought to trial 
generally receive insignificant punishments.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶3.  The Spanish Congress is scheduled to debate this fall a 
new "Forest Law" ("Ley de Montes") that would include reforms 
of fire fighting and land management regulations, as well as 
adjustments to the criminal code (as it pertains to arson). 
The draft law includes efforts to increase arson prosecutions 
and sentences and would stipulate a 30 year minimum waiting 
period before land lost to forest fires could be re-zoned. 
Given the 15 deaths (which took place after the government 
tabled the draft law), most observers expect Congress to 
attach to this law a more general reform of fire fighting 
practices. 
 
¶4.  Spanish Environment Minister Cristina Narbona has 
publicly linked the fires to Spain's ongoing drought. 
Reservoirs are currently at 43.6 percent of their capacity 
(down from 50 percent in June), and the government just 
authorized opening 16 "emergency wells" in the Murcia and 
Alicante regions, where reservoirs are at 20.7 percent of 
capacity.  Narbona has underscored Spain's needs to make 
greater efforts to limit water use and that raising water 
prices is an essential element of any such strategy.  Total 
2005 rainfall in Spain is the lowest since records began to 
be kept. 
 
¶5.  Once the outline of the expected Forest Law becomes 
clear, Embassy Madrid plans on contacting relevant Spanish 
Government authorities to explore greater fire fighting 
cooperation.  This summer's fires revealed that Spain's 
firefighting practices are relatively outdated compared to 
the U.S. and other major EU states.  If Spain is serious 
about improving its firefighting capabilities, we hope to be 
able to help them do it. 
 
AGUIRRE