Farmers Express Outrage Over Rejected Flood Mitigation Proposal
Farmers and ranchers in the Guadalajara province are facing a growing sense of frustration and disappointment after receiving a dismissive response from the Tagus Hydrographic Confederation regarding their plea for flood mitigation measures. Frustrated with the ongoing damage caused by periodic flooding impacting their agricultural lands, they had formally requested riverbed cleaning to prevent these recurring issues.
The Provincial Association of Farmers and Ranchers (APAG) issued a strong statement highlighting the dire consequences of neglected river channels. They claim, “The lack of conservation and cleaning of these channels causes damage to hundreds of agricultural plots and a multitude of infrastructures in the province every time any episode of rain occurs.” The association submitted a detailed report to the Tagus Hydrographic Confederation, emphasizing the urgency of the situation and requesting their immediate intervention. Their pleas, however, fell on deaf ears.
Juan José Laso, president of APAG, condemned the Confederation’s inaction, stating, “The periodic flooding of the land adjacent to the channels is not a natural phenomenon of river dynamics as the Confederation says. Many years ago, these floods did not occur because the channels were clean of vegetation and without sedimentation. These are artificial floods caused by the poor state of conservation of the channels through which water cannot circulate because they are clogged, dirty, and deteriorated.”
Adding fuel to the fire, the Confederation defended its stance by arguing that the affected lands are “floodplains” and the overflowing water actually improves soil fertility. Laso vehemently denied this claim, asserting, “This is not the Nile Delta. These floodplains are agricultural plots of private property, or property of local or regional administrations, which pay their rural IBI. I can assure you that there is no increase in fertility, but quite the contrary. Water erosion has made many plots have lost more than 50 cm of fertile soil, something difficult to recover.”
Laso emphasized that the Confederation must shoulder its responsibility for maintaining these crucial waterways. He argued, “We don’t want to destroy the riverside forests, of course, but the channels have to be clean, the water has to flow. If they have to fit 100 cubic meters and only 5 fit, it can’t be, this causes a lot of damage, and we hope we never reach a tragedy like what happened in Yebra and Almoguera.”
Laso’s reference to Yebra and Almoguera carries particular weight as those towns were devastated by deadly storms in 1995, resulting in the loss of 10 lives.
The farmers remain determined to find a solution to this recurring problem. While they acknowledge the government’s desire to promote the natural renaturalization of rivers, they insist that it cannot come at the expense of safeguarding their livelihoods and protecting their valuable agricultural land.
They urgently urge the authorities to reconsider their position and work collaboratively with them to implement effective flood mitigation measures that will ensure the long-term sustainability of both the environment and local agriculture.
What are the specific flood mitigation measures requested by the farmers from the Tagus Hydrographic Confederation?
## Interview: Farmers Clash with Confederation Over Flood Mitigation
**Host:** Welcome back to the show. Today, we’re discussing the growing tension between farmers in Guadalajara province and the Tagus Hydrographic Confederation. Joining us is Juan José Laso, president of the Provincial Association of Farmers and Ranchers (APAG). Juan José, welcome to the show.
**Juan José Laso:** Thank you for having me.
**Host:** Let’s talk about the situation. APAG recently requested flood mitigation measures from the Confederation, particularly riverbed cleaning, but it seems they were met with a dismissive response. Can you tell us more about that?
**Juan José Laso:** Absolutely. We’ve been suffering from repeated flooding damaging our crops and infrastructure. Our report highlighted the dire need for river channel maintenance. Sedimentation and vegetation buildup are restricting water flow, causing these artificial floods [[1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-04396-1)]. The Confederation claims these floods are natural, but this simply isn’t true. In the past, before the channels were neglected, these floods didn’t occur.
**Host:** So you’re saying these floods are preventable?
**Juan José Laso:** Absolutely. Simple solutions like regular cleaning of debris and vegetation could drastically reduce the risk of flooding. The Confederation’s inaction is costing us valuable land, crops, and livelihoods.
**Host:** This seems like a basic issue of infrastructure maintenance. What’s the Confederation’s reasoning for rejecting your request?
**Juan José Laso:** Unfortunately, we haven’t been given a clear explanation. They simply dismissed our concerns. This lack of transparency and inaction is deeply frustrating for our farming community.
**Host:** What are your next steps? Will you be taking further action?
**Juan José Laso:** We are exploring all options, including potential legal action. We won’t stand idly by while our livelihoods are threatened. We hope to raise awareness and force the Confederation to take responsibility for the neglected state of these crucial water channels.
**Host:** We certainly hope so, Juan José. Thank you for shedding light on this important issue.
**Juan José Laso:** Thank you for having me.