Nature has a message for us: the health of people depends on the health of the planet. Human activity has reduced by 30% the wealth of terrestrial habitats, which is the main cause of the loss of biodiversity, and global warming is aggravating this situation.
Protecting biodiversity is a necessity to preserve the health of the planet and, therefore, that of human beings. World Environment Day, celebrated today, June 5, calls for us to be aware of the correlation between climate change, biodiversity and health
Healthy ecosystems favor a balance between species and hinder the spread of pathogens such as viruses. Around a million animal and plant species, of the eight million that exist on the planet, may disappear in the next ten years, according to the United Nations. Spain is the country in Europe with the highest percentage of threatened species.
Ecological way out of the health crisis
Water, an essential element for life, is fundamental in this purpose. The Aguas de Albacete joint venture is part of Aquona, a company that belongs to SUEZ, a business group that has signed - together with more than 150 business groups - a joint statement addressed to governments and political leaders requesting that economic reconstruction to overcome the current crisis is carried out based on sustainable ecological plans. Relaunching a zero carbon economy and limiting global warming to a maximum of 1.5ºC in 2030 are part of a plan for the transition from a gray economy to a green economy.
Green infrastructure
The objective is to transform the facilities of the water cycle into verdes green infrastructures ’so that they can support the ecosystem in which they are located. For the control of the invasive exotic flora in the facilities, Agua de Albacete has developed the BiObserva STOP-invasoras program that offers, through a web platform and an app, the information to train staff on how to identify species, report observations and execute control plans.

Aguas de Albacete has spent years involving its workers in the protection of biodiversity, monitoring the birds that live next to the treatment plants. The BiObserva Voluntariado program was implemented in Aguas de Albacete in 2017 and is currently active in the Albacete Water Treatment Plant and the Potable Water Treatment Station, ETAP. A total of 10 volunteer workers have participated in the project in 2019, making 180 observations.
In addition, the company promotes general measures to preserve biodiversity, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, saving water, and reducing and reusing all the waste generated by its activity.