Original subtitles

(dramatic orchestral music)

(insects chirruping)

(gentle guitar music)

Lagoons and rice paddies in Catalonia

form a unique refuge for migratory, birds and rare species.

But man has seized this land to cultivate it

and exploit its precious resources.

Wild species have therefore become endangered.

Some are even close to extinction.

Human settlement has disrupted this landscape

and it's natural equilibrium.

(gentle music continues)

A team of experts has been considering different solutions

that may help save the Ebro delta.

(man speaks in foreign language)

These are very vulnerable areas.

Many people live here and the interaction

between nature and society is very important.

Nature and ecosystems evolve rapidly as does human activity.

It is truly a living laboratory.

(gentle guitar music) (bubbles gurgle)

In Spain, on the Mediterranean coast

south of Barcelona, the Ebro river forms

a delta used to grow rice.

Some natural lake areas subsist.

(music continues)

These lagoons are located halfway

between Africa and Northern Europe.

They are used by migratory birds

as a place to breed and feed.

In the Ebro delta Nature Park the mission is clear,

to preserve this haven of biodiversity.

(birds warbling) (reeds crackling)

A salt plant operates in this protected area.

It is taking the place of wild lagoons

but is tolerated owing to its economic role.

It's one of the most productive plants in Spain,

especially in terms of fleur de sel.

(birds squawking)

Luckily the salt plants are not lost for all birds.

(motor rumbling)

They attract flamingos, which feed on crustaceans

and red algae that dye their feathers.

(birds squawking)

(automobile creaking and rumbling)

Albert Bertolero, an animal expert,

works at the Ebro Delta Nature Park.

He monitors flamingos, one of the rare birds

to tolerate the salinity of the salt marshes.

(birds chirping)

(Albert speaks in Spanish)

It's easy for them to find food here.

It's also a very calm area

where they can nest as a colony.

(birds chirping)

They travel a lot from here to the Camargue,

Southern Spain and Northern Africa.

Every year we ring the chicks.

There are many flamingos in the Ebro delta.

Up to 3,000 pairs live here.

The park officer's mission is to preserve

these iconic animals.

They're young, unable to yet to fly.

Are easily captured for the purposes of cataloging

and ringing in order to then be monitored.

(group chattering and laughing)

Winter is coming to an end.

The land surrounding the Ebro is thirsty

and seems rather inhospitable to any form of life.

(wind howls)

(water rushes)

Three times smaller than the Rhone delta in Southern France,

The Ebro delta is used to grow rice.

This elaborate network of canals

combined with the Catalonian sun guarantees good crops.

This fresh water plays a crucial role.

(water burbling)

It applies pressure on the saline groundwater

which has seeped in from the sea.

These seeds don't tolerate salt.

And it's precisely thanks to this fresh water

that rice can grow.

(motor rumbles)

The birds arrive swiftly.

They leave their wild habitats to come and feed

in the rice paddies where the microorganisms

are awoken by the fresh water and plowing.

(birds chirping) (motor roaring)

The sown rice is a blessing.

There is abundant grain and it's easy to pick at.

(gentle music)

The Ebro delta birds are a problem for farmers

who are not allowed to shoot these protected species.

And shots fired into the air do not scare them off.

(gently rhythmic music)

The Ebro Delta Nature Park provides solutions

to reassure the rice farmers.

Here the land is regularly devastated by the flamingos

but a crucial element could save the day.

Blue light scares them off.

Xavier Porres, a park officer provides Luis Catalan,

with special material to protect his seedlings.

(Luis speaks in Spanish)

One day I had to start over

with the seedlings.

I was furious.

As you know, they come to my fields almost every year.

That's why I need you to install the lights

and stop them from coming.

(Xavier speaks in Spanish)

Through this problem

I've made many friends all around the delta.

[Interpreter] It's strange that they always

come to this field, this here is the delta boundary.

Over there there's a road, the mountains.

I don't understand what attracts them here.

(Xavier speaks Spanish)

It depends on whether

there are natural areas, more or less food or urban centers.

There are many possible reasons.

Xavier Porres installs

approximately 20 flashing lights

in the affected rice paddies.

Will they be enough to scare off the birds?

(wings flapping)

The flamingos are not however, changing their habits.

Like every other evening during the sowing period

they leave behind their wild lagoons,

attracted by the acres of recently flooded rice paddies.

(birds chirping)

(motor grumbles)

Xavier Porres keeps watch until late in the night.

It's the only way to contain the farmers' anger

towards the flamingos.

(Xavier speaks Spanish)

They most likely

come from the delta split or from the lagoons.

They're looking for food and are heading to Luis' land.

We're going to head there ourselves to monitor them.

They aren't far.

Despite its best efforts,

the Ebro Delta Nature Park admits

with regret that accidents do happen.

A care center has been built for killed or injured birds.

(people speak in Spanish)

Laura Fortuno, a veterinary technician,

is this time confirming a death.

But when possible she cares for the injured birds

in the hope of releasing them

after a period of convalescence.

Unfortunately most of them end up permanently disabled.

They will spend the rest of their lives in the aviary,

away from predators and gunshots.

(birds honking)

(Laura speaks in Spanish)

This one has an amputated wing.

One of the flamingos, the one with the dangling wing,

arrived with a fracture after having been shot at

by a hunter.

Yet this species is protected

and it is prohibited to hunt them.

But they do cause a lot of damage

in the rice paddies during the sowing.

Which is why some people mean them harm.

Here are some Audouin's Gulls.

The one with a bandage is on the mend.

This other gull is awaiting release.

The others have been traumatized after colliding with cars.

The SEO/BirdLife association's

organic farm is exploring peaceful solutions

to enable farmers and migratory birds to co-exist.

With the help of young volunteers, Sebastian Chano,

an old fashioned farmer is preparing his seeds

which he keeps out of reach of the birds

during the germination phase.

(Sebastian speaks in Spanish)

There are little dots you see?

This rice is already fermented, not entirely, about 60%.

Now take the rice, it needs to be spread evenly.

Look at that.

My word, you know how to sow rice.

This rice is very tasty in a paella.

We'll transplant it to the field

we've prepared for that purpose.

A lot of water is needed.

(water trickles)

Rice, animals and even weeds,

We feed them well.

Look at these plants.

They're alive because the earth is alive.

But if we spray nasty chemicals again and again.

More and more on the rice and weeds,

we're also killing the earth.

(reeds rustle)

As you can see here to the water's coming

and also the birds are coming.

Before the water wasn't there.

And also the birds weren't here.

So now they have water and it's a perfect living for them.

The association's untreated land

is healthier and richer.

Now it's a question of protecting the rice

from being devoured by greedy birds,

such as the western swamphen.

Sofia Rivaes, an animal expert makes the most

of the association's land to study this bird.

She is looking at how to limit

the damage it causes to crops.

(Sofia speaks in Spanish)

It feeds on various invertebrates,

tubers and the soft part of plants.

It grabs hold of them, cuts them and eats that part,

be it a reed or a rice plant.

If there is rice it gets eaten.

(birds chattering and squawking)

When a bird causes agricultural damage,

we can conduct an investigation

and try to avoid it happening again.

But if it persists, the authorities offer compensation.

That way we avoid the farmers aversion to these species.

In summer, the swamphens move away from natural areas,

towards the rice paddies.

This is what we have observed

through monitoring them with radio tracking.

Swamphens haven't always

been considered a pest.

In ancient Greece they were appreciated

for their colors and quasi-human behavior.

A legend praised their loyalty.

And according to Aristotle,

they might even have been domesticated.

(gentle orchestral music)

A species can therefore go from boon to bane,

depending on the interests of the era.

Much to the joy of ornithologists,

the SEO/BirdLife association has converted

an old rice paddy into a lagoon.

It now welcomes all sorts of birds,

such as terns, egrets and avocets.

(gentle music continues)

From the sky, the Ebro delta is reminiscent

of a two-finned to marine mammal.

These fins are actually sand banks

created by the currents.

They harbor bays and a biological treasure

of the greatest interest for biodiversity,

(anchor splashes) mother of pearl shells.

These giant muscles can one meter, 50 in deep water.

Here they thrive, whereas elsewhere

they are attacked by disease.

Patricia Prado, is a biologist specialized

in the study and safeguarding of mother of pearl shells.

(Patricia speaks in Spanish)

Here we are in a sandy area.

Mother of pearl shells are the only solid support

for many organisms that can cling to them

as they do on rocks.

They are a species native to the Mediterranean

and are in danger.

Protecting them is vital.

(man speaks is Spanish) (water lapping)

Potential harmful agricultural effluents

flow into the bay.

Patricia marks the mother of pearl shells

to monitor their health and that of associated organisms

such as sea urchins.

(water gurgles)

Tube worms have settled on this one and filter the plankton.

(water splashes and gurgles)

(Patricia speaks in Spanish)

They form the natural Habitat

of numerous organisms.

Here are some green algae and anemones.

Sometimes there are even sponges

and here a fish is living inside.

There you have snakelocks anemones

which are very typical of the region.

You can eat them in many restaurants.

Mother of pearl shells are a bit like a forest

in which a number of plants and organisms can develop.

(man speaks in Spanish) (water splashing)

In the past, the Romans used them to make buttons.

Mother of pearl shells are endangered

in the Mediterranean.

They're being kept under observation

in this laboratory, which has been specially fitted

to protect them from a deadly parasite.

(Patricia speaks in Spanish)

Interpreter] We are preserving individuals as a precaution

against the risk of the arrival

of the haplosporidian parasite on the Catalan coast.

It is already present in many places

but so far the Alfacs Bay in the Ebro delta

has not been affected.

This is a genetic reserve.

We are trying to get the mother of pearl shells

to reproduce so that we can then reintroduce them

into the bay.

(water splashes)

(water bubbles)

The Ebro Delta Nature Park

takes great care of its aquatic species.

These technicians ensure the breeding of rare fish

in order to strengthen their populations in the wild.

(gentle music)

Some are facing extinction on a global scale

like the Valencia killifish.

It's a freshwater fish that can tolerate

a certain level of salinity.

Its lifespan is only one year.

Pollution and the destruction of its habitat

have decimated its populations.

(water gurgling) (somber music)

Esther Font, a technician at the center

for the study of fish has been eagerly awaiting this moment.

(Esther speaks in Spanish)

It's very satisfying for us

to witness their development.

From the egg stage, to the moment we release them.

It's as if they were our children.

Every day we feed them, look after them

and change their water until we free them.

We are in the most natural part of the delta.

They can have a good life in this very clean water

which comes from those mountains over there.

(gently upbeat orchestral music)

Clean water is rare in the Ebro delta.

The canals are irrigating the rice paddies,

used to host a rich aquatic fauna.

But today they have been covered in concrete,

polluted or drained.

(tractor rumbles) (music continues)

Fortunately some canals subsist in their natural state.

These canals are of particular interest

to environmental conservation specialists,

such as Miguel Angel and his team.

These naiads or freshwater mussels

have a unique cycle.

Their larvae parasitize fish

which then helps them colonize the canals.

(Miguel speaks in Spanish)

This type of naiad is very rare.

In this part of the delta where the ground water rises

a permanent fauna can be found in the canals all year round.

For there to be naiads in a canal

the water must remain clean for 15, 20, 30 years.

That's why the survival of these shells is no easy matter,

particularly in the delta.

(gently upbeat music)

Another freshwater jewel

are these lagoon's old rice paddies

or salt plants returned to their natural state.

Horses ensure the trimming to keep the water clear,

which is needed for all lake species.

Though fishing was allowed for a long time,

these waters nearly saw the extinction

of the testudo turtle, a species endangered in Europe.

Every year, Albert Bertolero draws up an inventory

of these turtles to see if they are efficiently

recolonizing the area.

(gentle music continues)

He's installing the same nets

the fishermen used in the past.

The same nets in which the turtles would drown

for lack of oxygen.

(Albert speaks in Spanish)

You always have to leave some of it

out of the water for the turtles

so that they can breathe in the traps.

Adult turtles eat crayfish,

but big crayfish can eat baby turtles.

Product of globalization,

the invasive California crayfish

is now competing with the turtles.

(boots squelching)

Albert receives help from the park's care center team.

New generations of turtles are being raised

for reintroduction into the wild.

They are marked with a number which is then replaced

by an electronic chip to help identify them later on.

They won't be able to start reproducing

until they are aged between four and seven.

Albert will be seeing them again when they are adults.

Their reintroduction since 2006 has been a success.

85% have survived.

And there are today around 500 of them in the lagoon.

(Albert speaks in Spanish)

Fishing is forbidden in this lagoon.

This means that they no longer risk drowning

in the fishermen's traps,

which was one of the causes of their near extinction.

(water gurgles) (reeds crackle)

(gentle music)

Be they turtles, birds, shells or fish,

all these species contribute to the delicate

ecological equilibrium of the Ebro delta.

Their conservation is an arduous task

which only real enthusiasts, such as Albert Bertolero

and his colleagues can ensure through constant involvement.

(music ends) (cicadas chirrup)

(Albert speaks in Spanish)

We're heading towards the dunes

which are home to the Mediterranean turtles.

They're yellow and black,

but aren't always very visible and hide in the bushes.

We'll search for them with the help of my dog, Nesca.

(cicadas chirrup) (grass crackles)

Here are some turtle tracks, two parallel lines.

You can see the direction they follow.

This particular turtle was heading to the right.

(dog pants)

Unlike aquatic turtles,

land turtles are not native to the Ebro delta.

Their natural habitat has been destroyed

on the continent.

Here at the protected sandy delta spit

they can thrive.

Albert Bertolero is checking

whether they are adapting well

to this arid environment.

(Albert speaks in Spanish)

This turtle weighs 600 grams.

It's weight provides information on its health,

on whether it rains enough

and whether there are enough plants for it to eat.

Here conditions are difficult.

These are dune plants and turtles only eat some of them.

(dog whines)

These plants like samphire,

have a high salt concentration

which is not necessarily to the taste of the turtles.

But it's no bad thing for rare plants

which botanists are seeking to preserve.

(Albert speaks in Spanish)

This plant is rare,

it's a protected species.

It's only found in the southern part of the delta.

(gentle music)

In the Ebro delta natural areas

have become scarce.

The vegetation was cleared during the last century

in order to create rice paddies.

A narrow slither of forest survives in its original state

along the Ebro banks.

Sofia Rivaes, the expert in the regulation

of species, wishes to preserve it

for its botanical interest and as a home

for the wildlife displaced by the rice paddies.

(Sofia speaks in Spanish)

This is a tamarisk.

It is very well suited to saline soils

and even secretes salt through its leaves.

If you place one in your mouth,

you can taste its saltiness.

This forest is tiny and the park officials

are helping it fulfill its role as a refuge.

(Sofia speaks in Spanish)

Here is a bird house for the sparrows.

Now and again, we come with a ladder to check

whether there are any fledglings.

Sometimes we ring them before putting the bird house back.

Everywhere else the trees have been felled.

But by removing them, the farmers have chased away

natural allies that could be of use.

The park officials must find new tricks to win them back.

Xavier Porres has made a pact with the farmers

to give back its place to one of the most useful animals

in biological control.

(Xavier speaks in Spanish) (door bangs)

(men speak in Spanish)

There are two.

They're moving, little by little others will come too.

These bats can save the rice paddies.

Xavier pampers them so they feel safe.

In terms of construction

I opt for simplicity.

They can come in through here,

this natural cement box is the most common.

With only 15 millimeters of space

through which to come in and out.

That's enough.

(farmer speaks in Spanish)

That way no predator can get in.

(men speak in Spanish)

This moth attacks rice plants.

And everything it touches ends up rotting.

You have to use pesticides.

If these boxes can help control this pest

in a more natural way?

That works for me.

(solemn music)

When the rice sets seed

the invasive moth attacks.

At night clouds of them invade the rice paddies.

Fortunately bats find them rather tasty.

A single bat can capture more than a 100 moths per night.

Mission accomplished.

The bats have returned, thanks to the refuge boxes.

Xavier Porres takes advantage of this

to closely examine one of the rare species

of migratory pipistrelle.

(Xavier speaks in Spanish)

They're becoming agitated

and want to come out.

At this time of year when the Ebro delta begins to flood

we notice that the females come together

with the males in the refuge boxes.

We don't know their migration routes well.

For example, do they search for shelter

along the Mediterranean coast

before finally ending up in Germany?

Further study is required.

(equipment clicks)

Xavier has marked the bats

in order to study their movements.

(Xavier speaks in Spanish)

I'm really happy to hear the signal.

Xavier Porres has caused for celebration.

The bats come back every spring to fulfill their role

as predators of undesirable insects.

(equipment clicks)

There is however another enemy

that is much harder to fight

than the harmful insects.

(somber music)

It spends a winter under ground.

And every spring the water from the rice paddies

gives it a new lease on life.

(somber music continues)

(water trickles)

This enemy is the apple snail, an invasive mollusk

native to Argentina.

(solemn chiming music)

It devours all plants and rice in particular.

When food starts to run out, it eats the algae

that grow on the shells of its fellow snails.

It has both lungs and gills

which enabled it to breathe on land and underwater.

It even has a snorkel to get oxygen from the surface

which is useful in polluted or oxygen-poor water.

(water gurgles) (music continues)

The apple snail was involuntarily released

from a recreational aquaculture center in 2013.

The canals enabled it to colonize

the rice paddies in the north.

And it now appears in the south too.

Pesticides have failed to get rid of them.

The team in charge of monitoring biodiversity

finds them everywhere.

It's obliged to destroy them

even if they keep coming back.

(woman speaks in Spanish)

There we have some apple snail eggs.

The apple snails reproduce very quickly.

No predator eats their eggs because they are toxic.

Miguel Angel, a freshwater conservation specialist,

has never managed to get rid of this invader.

(Miguel speaks in Spanish)

The biggest snail we ever found

was around 12 centimeters.

These snails can crawl along the ground

almost like land snails.

If you take them out of the water and place them elsewhere,

they're capable of traveling long distances

to get back to the water.

With regard to the rice, in proportion to their size,

it's the smallest ones that have the biggest appetite.

(somber music)

(motor rumbles faintly)

Apple snails are a rice farmer's nightmare.

(motor whines)

Like many before him, Artrea Buera,

has done everything he can

to try to get rid of them.

(Artrea speaks in Spanish)

The most dangerous ones

are about this size or even smaller.

They are insatiable.

This one looks dead, but is in fact still alive.

They are very agile and climb

one on the top of the other to reach the plant

and make it bend.

Then they eat the entire rice plant.

Once the soft parts have disappeared

they start attacking the harder parts.

They destroy everything.

We have come up with a siphon system.

The snail moves forward with the current

and enters through a gutter.

It becomes trapped, it ends up without water

or humidity and can no longer move forward.

This way we can reduce their number.

We don't have a choice but to adapt

in order to survive alongside them.

This year Artrea Buera is attempting to sow

in dry conditions to avoid awakening the snails.

(motor rumbles)

His rice can sprout safely,

out of reach of the invaders.

His friend, Carlos Fornos, a seed man,

is also promoting dry sowing.

The snails need to eat.

They eat everything they find.

When the rice is gone, they go for the weeds.

They destroy entire fields.

If they ate only weeds

they could become our allies in the rice paddies.

For that though, we'd have to make the rice

germinate separately, outside the paddy.

Greenhouse germination

is another possible method of countering

the devastating effect of apple snails.

The seedlings are then placed in the rice paddies

at a later stage when they are stronger,

with the help of pesticides.

It's an ancient technique that is more hard work

but that has proved its worth to farmers.

However, is the solution not to be found in nature?

(birds honking)

(Sofia speaks in Spanish)

They are walking.

(woman speaks in Spanish)

How many are eating?

(Sofia speaks in Spanish) Three,

we need to get a little closer and wait

in case there is a snail, so that we can see it better.

Everything started with a photo

in which we could see an ibis eating a snail.

(Sofia continues speaking in Spanish)

From this photo we are trying to prove

that ibis do indeed eat apple snails.

(bird croaks)

In only seven years

the ibis population has increased

by several thousand individuals.

Thanks to the boom in the apple snail population,

an unexpected predator, the ibis

might be able to free the rice paddies

of a hitherto uncontrollable pest.

(bird croaks)

(gentle upbeat music)

Accepting birds as a means to ensure better harvests

is a new idea, which will most likely gain ground.

The Ebro delta truly represents a delicate balance

between man and nature.

One that is constantly evolving and full of surprises.

The Catalans have understood that the area

needs to be respected in order to be promoted.

They also reap the benefits of tourism

in these preserved areas.

(gentle music continues)

I love birds, every bird. (laughs)

And this is a particular beautiful bird.

Especially in flying and landing.

Behind this rather bucolic scene

is a somewhat darker reality.

The mouth of the Ebro, loaded with nutrients,

attracts fish as well as those that eat them.

But these waters are not as clean as they might seem.

A slow poison absorbed by the birds is worrying

the academics of Barcelona.

Albert Bertolero is leading an investigation

into a colony of gulls.

(Albert speaking in Spanish) (gulls screeching)

Heavy metals dissolved in the sea are absorbed by the birds.

There are traces of them in the shells of their young

and in the food provided by the parents.

This pollution can lead to malformations.

(Albert speaks in Spanish)

The adults fly off to find food

and regurgitate it to feed their chicks.

(chick cheeps)

I love working in the field.

You learn a lot because you're in direct contact

with the animals and nature.

And you can observe their interactions.

(gulls squawking)

It's now time for the ornithologists

to study the health of these gulls a little more closely.

Moises Sanchez, a PhD student in biology,

is studying mercury pollution

and how it's accumulating in the food chain.

(Moises speaks in Spanish)

It's a very toxic pollutant,

not only for humans, but for the fauna and wildlife too.

(Moises continues speaking in Spanish)

The quantity of mercury is increasing

in the bodies of animals.

We can thus find out the degree

of mercury pollution in the ecosystem.

Thanks to their samples,

the scientists can implement new measures against pollution

which is reaching worrying levels in the Mediterranean.

(wings flapping)

(gently upbeat music)

For now, the yellow-footed gulls

are still faring quite well.

However, another species which is much more sensitive

to environmental hazards has attracted

Albert Bertolero's attention.

(Albert speaks in Spanish)

We're going to see some Audouin's gulls.

In the late '70s this species was close to extinction.

There were only a thousand pairs in the Mediterranean.

(gulls screeching)

The number of eggs and their size give us information

on the reproduction conditions of the females,

and for the current year.

(gulls screeching)

Once is not custom.

The artificial environment of the industrial salt flat

actually protects Audouin's gulls

from continental predators.

(Albert speaks in Spanish)

In the '80s,

20 pairs started to nest in the Ebro delta.

Since then the colony has developed

and is now considered the largest in the world.

(gulls squawking) (water lapping)

(gentle music)

Thanks to everyone's concerted efforts

the Ebro delta can play its role as a sanctuary

for species at the edge of our modern and denatured world.

But a much more serious threat is posed by the sea.

Sea levels are inexorably rising.

More acres have been flooded than one can count.

(solemn music) (water lapping)

(waves rushing)

This restaurant is putting up resistance.

It's stone shield needs rebuilding every year.

This situation worries Marcella Otamendi, it's owner.

(Marcella speaks in Spanish)

About 40 years ago,

I used to grow rice even here.

Over there in the sea where you see those rocks,

there was a path that led to the Fangar peninsula.

There were sand dunes and the vegetation was spectacular,

a real slice of paradise.

But now everything has been drowned by the sea.

(somber orchestral music)

Even more concerning

is the recently built tourist village

which is doomed to become an island in just a few decades.

A simulation shows that half the Ebro delta

will be flooded by the Mediterranean in the next 50 years.

In this exposed area, a house and part of the coast

were washed away by the last storm.

Carlos Ibanez, an expert in coastal areas

is studying this phenomenon.

(Carlos speaks in Spanish)

Here there's sand and it erodes easily.

In the event of a sea storm, it crumbles quickly

and it all collapses.

This problem is not only linked to the sea levels.

That will be the case in the future

when the levels would have risen by a meter.

This will have an impact on the erosion.

But for now the erosion is mainly due

to the lack of sediments in the Ebro.

(waves hissing)

Consequently the land

along the Ebro is sinking,

while the sea levels are rising.

This double phenomenon will eventually

put an end to the area's rice paddy economy.

The salt is already infiltrating.

It risks burning the crops.

(somber music)

(tractor rumbles)

The riverbed and the canals that it irrigates

are also sinking below sea level.

Manual evacuation of fresh water is needed.

Sometimes through pumping, an electricity-hungry process.

(water rushing)

(solemn rhythmic music)

To measure the sinking of the delta,

satellite detected beacons have been set up.

(Carlos speaks in Spanish)

It sinks a few millimeters every year.

This won't cause any problems in the next year,

but it risks causing very serious damage

in the next 30 to 50 years.

Sudden events such as natural disasters,

for example, hurricanes or storms

are a cause of concern for a lot of people.

But things are different when the changes are slow,

even if the consequences will soon be dramatic.

Only the alluvium carried by the Ebro

could raise the level of the delta.

But lately there hasn't been much at all.

(Carlos speaking in Spanish)

This system only measures

the compacting of the first few meters.

It corresponds to the most active

and most recent layer of sediments accumulated

over the last few centuries.

(water gurgles)

The delta was born

from sediments transported by the Ebro.

The land progressively gained ground over the sea

with the help of rice paddies and canals,

which used to distribute the alluvium-rich water.

(gently solemn music) (projector rattles)

What happened?

Here are the culprits.

Six hydroelectric dams have been built along the Ebro.

Today they prevent the flow of sediments.

In order for them to get through,

drainage gates are required.

But this is an expensive process.

(crowd chanting)

Anger is growing.

Many have become aware of the danger.

Mr. Paulette, at the head of the movement

is a fervent defender of the delta.

(man speaks in Spanish)

These sediments are accumulating

in the dams that store them.

No one cares that they're full of mud.

We need to find a solution to ease the flow of sediments.

Pending a political decision,

Carlos Ibanez is on the hunt for solutions.

He's managed to convince a plant

that captures freshwater up river.

The sediments will be re-injected

into the rice paddy canals,

diluted and spread across several acres.

It's a drop in the ocean with regards to the delta

but the experience could serve as an example

for the dams to do the same thing on a bigger scale.

(motor rumbles)

(footsteps crunching)

In this area where we're standing,

the level is higher.

This is due to the vegetation.

It retains sediments, creates volume with its roots

and that raises the level of the ground.

This is why we promote the role of vegetation

in these sensitive areas, to retain more sediments

and produce as much bio mass as possible.

The aim is to raise the ground level

in proportion to that of the sea.

(gentle music)

Will the attention of the best experts

be enough to safeguard this delta?

Their faith may do wonders.

(Albert speaks in Spanish)

This is a place we know and love,

a place we live and work in.

We don't want to see the delta disappear.

Particularly since this process is due to human error.

No one wants it to reach that point.

Whatever happens,

Catalans will remember the lesson of the Ebro delta.

Its safeguarding depends on the respect

of its soil and water.

On the equilibrium between its wild environment

and cultivated land for a vital interdependence

between man and nature.

(gentle music continues)