Zaragoza chooses water as main theme of Expo 2008

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Zaragoza World Expo 2008. Photo: EFE

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• Expo Zaragoza 2008

Following several months of drought in Spain, recent rains have cause river Ebro to rise, causing minor floods at the location of the Zaragoza World Expo 2008.

In a region where water is scarce, Zaragoza has chosen water and sustainability as its message. It wants to highlight to the rest of the world what is one of the biggest issues the planet is facing.

Over five hundred million euros (seven hundred and fifty million US dollars) have been invested in the development of Expo 2008.

Running from June 14 to September 14, Zaragoza wants to show, through Expo 2008, Spain's commitment to renewable energy and responsible management of water.

The boats that will carry people to the exhibition across the Ebro will be powered by solar panels and city buses will use hydrogen as fuel.

There will be about 3,500 shows during the 92 days of Expo 2008, and they will all have water as their main theme. The hundred and forty pavilions will receive over five-million visitors within its surface area of 25 hectares.

The city of Zaragoza has been chosen by the United Nation as the location of the International Agency until 2015. The Spanish town of Aragon has the lowest per capita water consumption in the country.

From improving the quality of drinking water to the treatment of waste water, Expo visitors will learn how city water is managed. Specifically, how drinking water gets from reservoirs to taps, how water can be reused in the household, and how ultraviolet light can purify water.

Water management is a very important issue in a hot country like Spain. It has suffered its driest spring since records began 60 years ago. The area surrounding Barcelona has been particularly affected by water shortage.

Reservoirs, at a fifth of their capacity, are empty to the extent that villages, flooded long ago, are once again visible.

It has become so bad that water from Tarragona and Marseille in France is being shipped to the Catalan city in order to ease the effects of severe drought.

The regional government of Catalonia, of which Barcelona is the capital, says six ships a month will bring in a total of 438 million gallons (1.66 million cubic meters) of water.

Authorities hope a new desalination plant - one of the biggest in Europe - will be operational next May and will resolve much of Catalonia's water woes.