Spain pledges 350M euros to save Doñana wetlands

By JOSEPH WILSON
Associated Press

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain’s government has pledged to invest 350 million euros ($368 million) in the country’s Doñana wetlands. Ecologists have been clamoring for more action to help the UNESCO world heritage site that experts say is dying due to the misuse of water and climate change. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the pledge on Thursday when he visited the Doñana National Park. A European Union court ruled last year that Spanish authorities had failed in their duty to protect the wetlands that are a stopover spot for millions of birds migrating from Africa to northern Europe. The World Wildlife Fund applauded the investment but demanded more from regional authorities to control the illegal extraction of water.