An old rubbish dump near the Alfarnate sewage plant is to become the first site for Malaga Province’s major reforestation programme. At least one million trees are to be planted to prevent further erosion and deforestation in the region. Authorities hope that the newly created woodland areas will not only be a refuge for flora and fauna, but also attract hikers and cyclists. For those with a holiday home in Marbella or permanent residence elsewhere at the Costa del Sol the programme certainly opens up new leisure time possibilities.
Providing new Recreational Areas in Malaga Province
Between now and 2020, Malaga Province is to plant one million trees, already starting their reforestation programme this autumn. Other areas marked out for urgent attention are the Serrania de Ronda and the province’s north-east.
With global warming come summers that are sometimes so hot, they are difficult to bear for Northern European expats. Spending the hottest of those summer days in the cool shade of trees, perhaps having a picnic with the family, will be a “back-to-nature” tourist attraction that benefits everyone, especially the environment.
Saturnino Moreno Borrell, head of the Environmental Programme section of Malaga Province’s regional government, explains that the first site chosen was a rubbish dump closed down some three decades ago. Although here and there almond trees grow around the site, the former rubbish dump itself is rather bare, featuring little more than dried grass.
The former rubbish dump lies in the centre of La Axarquia, opposite the foothills of the Camarolos and San Jorge mountains. Situated on a steep slope, this is not the easiest of sites, for the ground has already suffered erosion. Valuable top soil has been washed down into the nearby river during heavy winter rains, which has caused flooding in some parts of the area – one of the main reasons why the former rubbish dump is become the first site for the tree-planters to tackle.
First though, they must clear the wreckage from the site and create several small terraces to reduce further erosion and risk of landslide. New top soil, enriched with nutrients, will be brought in before species of shrubs and trees are going to be selected that are deemed to thrive best in this spot. The flattest part of the site is to receive 300 trees or more. Native shrubs such as broom, mastics, fan palms, lavender, rosemary and thyme will be planted on the steeper slopes, as they are better able to adapt the challenging terrain.
Saving the Mediterranean from Soil Erosion
The aim is to plant native species that will blend into the wider environment, making the site look natural when plants begin to mature. Information panels will be installed that will show visitors what grows naturally in this part of the province. The new recreation area on council land will undoubtedly add to the quality of life for residents of Alfarnate and for visitors coming to the municipality.
Similar programmes have already succeeded in other parts of the country, such as the embankments along the Los Portillos stream, which is a tributary of the Guadalhorce River in the rural municipality of Villanueva del Rosario on the other side of the Sierra de Camarolos. The area was rescued just in time, as cultivated plants had almost wiped out native species, reading all the way down to the stream’s banks. A year later, poplars and ashes sway gently in the breeze, swallows have returned to build their nests here, hunting for insects on the surface of the stream. It’s a start to return this fragile ecosystem to what is once was.
Having studies 7,500 stream and river systems and various terrain across Malaga Province that is at risk from erosion, Saturnino Moreno, the head of the environmental programme at the Diputación, believes that not only it be possible to slow global warming with the addition of one million trees, the programme will show local councils across Spain what can be done in terms of reforestation with the help of councils and volunteers.
At 68, Mr Borrell is a pioneer in environmental matters, having been instrumental in schemes that protected vultures and as co-founder of the Silvema organisation that looks after ecological concerns in the Serrania de Ronda, an area much favoured by people staying in Marbella holiday homes but up to now a little neglected by house hunters coming to the Costa del Sol.
Reforestation is to be carried out on council-owned land on the outskirts of many urban areas over the coming four years. This is open up many recreational areas for visitors and local residents, improving everyone’s lives and ensuring that future generations will still be able to see the Mediterranean region is one of the most beautiful in Europe.