Editing Doñana National Park (section)

==Environmental issues==
After the [[Doñana disaster|Aznalcóllar Dam disaster]] of 1998, public awareness of the environmental risks to which the countryside is exposed has increased. Various impact studies and environmental groups have warned repeatedly of problems that threaten the region's flora, fauna, water and soil. While the pressure of urbanization and its various demands on local ecosystems has been a concern throughout the years, this is not the only associated risk factor. UNESCO has reviewed the nomination of the park for inclusion in its "[[List of World Heritage in Danger]]" several times, but has yet to add it.

===Impact of infrastructure===
There have been a number of problems related to infrastructure near the park. A project to build an oil pipeline between Extremadura and the port of Huelva has been criticized by environmental groups, who allege it would significantly increase tanker traffic in the area with an associated risk of oil spills. Frequent dredging of the Guadalquivir to allow passage of ships to the port of Seville has been observed to cause serious disturbances in the biodynamics of the estuary. Adena, the ''Associación de defensa de la naturaleza'' (Association for the defence of nature), [[WWF Spain|the Spanish branch of WWF]], has linked the passage of these boats with the introduction of new animals to the local ecosystems, which occurs when they discharge ballast water containing exotic species.

[[File:Huelva ciudad 019.jpg|thumb|The Port of Huelva]]
The Port of Huelva, a few kilometers from the Natural Park, is one of its major environmental threats. Francisco Bella, PSOE senator and former mayor of the town of Almonte Huelva, considers it absurd that the pipeline project has been approved while the national government and the regional government of Andalusia invest in renewable energy. As mayor of Almonte, he noted the difficulties of implementing policies that promote employment near the park: (translation) "...we know almost everything about the ant and the lynx, but need to know how employment evolves in Doñana." In line with Bella's position regarding the aqueduct, Ginés Morata, a biologist and former president of the ''Consejo de Participación de Doñana'' (Participation Council of Doñana), says that the project, which involves the passage of hundreds of oil tankers per year that would unload their cargoes near Doñana, would lead to an increased possibility of oil spills.

===Overexploitation of water resources===
Another environmental problem is water withdrawals for irrigation, many of them illegal, which have doubled since the late 1980s to maintain water-intensive crops such as cotton, rice and more recently strawberries. The latter are grown in greenhouses, with an estimated area under plastic of between 4,500 and 6,000 hectares in the Doñana area, producing over 90% of the Spanish strawberry crop. The boring of illegal wells to draw irrigation water from underground aquifers has apparently proliferated,<ref>{{cite news|title=Spanish national park could lose Unesco status over illegal boreholes|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jun/28/strawberry-spain-donana-wildlife-iberian-lynx|access-date=23 March 2014|newspaper=The Guardian|date=28 June 2013|author=James Bryce|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130908142203/http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jun/28/strawberry-spain-donana-wildlife-iberian-lynx|archive-date=8 September 2013|location=Seville|quote=Some producers in the area are accused of using illegal boreholes to draw water from underground aquifers, which the fragile ecosystem is dependent on to support a wide range of species.}}</ref> while the water demands of nearby residential complexes and inappropriate usage of the water resources of nearby rivers may also affect the [[hydrology]] of the park. Other potential risks include salinization resulting from climate change; the intrusion of salt water from the Atlantic would endanger several animal species. On the other hand, desertification could also occur; recently a transfer from the Chanza-Piedras water system was approved by the ''Diputación de Huelva'' (Provincial Council of Huelva) to alleviate this eventuality.<ref>{{cite news|title=La Diputación respalda el trasvase de agua del sistema Chanza-Piedras|url=http://www.huelvainformacion.es/article/provincia/1303517/la/diputacion/respalda/trasvase/agua/sistema/chanzapiedras.html|access-date=23 March 2014|newspaper=Huelva Informacion|date=10 July 2012|author=S.P.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323225511/http://www.huelvainformacion.es/article/provincia/1303517/la/diputacion/respalda/trasvase/agua/sistema/chanzapiedras.html|archive-date=23 March 2014|location=Huelva}}</ref>

===Impact of agriculture===
In 2007, the [[World Wildlife Fund]] warned that strawberry farms surrounding the park, where 95% of Spanish strawberries were produced, threatened to cause catastrophic damage to the park by depleting the surrounding groundwater, notably where illegal boreholes were involved, as well as creating considerable [[pesticide pollution]] and plastic waste which was accumulating in local creeks; AFP further reported that WWF was calling for a boycott of Spanish strawberries,<ref name=BBC>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6460767.stm "Call for Spain strawberry boycott". BBC News, 16/3/07]</ref> but this is contradicted by the remarks of a [[WWF Spain]] spokesperson,<ref name="Independent">"How the thirst for strawberries is draining Spain's precious water". ''The Independent'', 14/2/07: [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/how-the-thirst-for-strawberries-is-draining-spains-precious-water-436317.html]</ref> and it is uncharacteristic of WWF to call for blanket boycotts.

===Aznalcóllar disaster===
{{Main|Doñana disaster}} 
On 25&nbsp;April 1998, a holding dam burst at the '''Los Frailes mine''' operated by the mining company, [[Boliden|Boliden-Apirsa]], near [[Aznalcóllar]], [[Seville Province]], releasing 4–5&nbsp;million cubic metres of mine [[tailings]]. The [[acid]]ic tailings, which contained dangerous levels of several [[heavy metal (chemistry)|heavy metals]], quickly reached the nearby River Agrio, and then its tributary the River [[Guadiamar]], travelling about 40&nbsp;kilometres along these waterways before they could be stopped<ref>{{citation | title = El desastre ecológico de Aznalcóllar | last1 = Aguilar | first1 = J. | last2 = Dorronsoro | first2 = C. | last3 = Fernández | first3 = E. | last4 = Fernández | first4 = J. | last5 = García | first5 = I. | last6 = Martín | first6 = F. | last7 = Ortiz | first7 = I. | last8 = Simón | first8 = M. | url = http://edafologia.ugr.es/Donana/aznal.htm | publisher = University of Granada | access-date = 10 October 2010 | archive-date = 17 March 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110317050659/http://edafologia.ugr.es/donana/aznal.htm | url-status = dead }}.</ref> and advancing as far as the prepark. The cleanup operation took three years, at an estimated cost of €240&nbsp;million.<ref>{{citation | title = El desastre que amenazó Doñana | url = http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/desastre/amenazo/Donana/elpepisoc/20101006elpepisoc_6/Tes | newspaper = El País | date = 6 October 2010  }}.</ref> Although the spill was slowed by levees and diverted by way of the Guadalquivir to the sea, the vulnerability of Doñana's ecosystems to such environmental catastrophes was evident.

To ensure sustainable development both in the countryside and in the surrounding provinces, as well as to counteract future environmental threats, an International Commission of Experts met in 1992 to propose solutions, and produced the ''Plan de Desarrollo Sostenible de Doñana y su Entorno'' (Plan for Sustainable Development of Doñana and its Surroundings), briefly described as:

{{blockquote|text=A plan of action, implemented through the Doñana Operational Programme and funded by the regional government of Andalusia and the Spanish State, as well as the Feder Funds, ESF and EAGGF, to revitalise both the regional infrastructure and social fabric through a new economic model of development compatible with preserving the biodiversity of such an extraordinarily important natural heritage as Doñana.}}

[[File:Las Marismas, Villafranco del Guadalquivir.jpg|thumb|220px|[[Rice field]] in Las Marismas, near [[Isla Mayor]]]]
This effectively became the mission statement of the Doñana 21 Foundation, created in 1997 as a partnership between the Governing Council of the Andalusian Regional Government and the El Monte, San Fernando and Unicaja savings banks. The plan established among its objectives the promotion of actions beneficial to the natural environment, seeking the cooperation of national and European governmental bodies, and the various organizations with an interest in the park, economic or otherwise, for sustainable development of the area (e. g., by encouraging the organic farming of rice).<ref>{{cite news|title=Fundación Doñana 21 presenta mañana su proyecto de arroz 100% ecológico|url=http://www.abcdesevilla.es/20100325/sevilla-economia-economia/doniana-201003251855.html|access-date=23 March 2014|newspaper=ABC Sevilla|date=25 March 2010|location=Sevilla|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129132441/http://www.abcdesevilla.es/20100325/sevilla-economia-economia/doniana-201003251855.html|archive-date=29 January 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Since then, representatives from Council agencies, businesses, trade unions and conservation organizations such as WWF have joined the foundation and collaborated in meeting its goals.

===Pipeline===
In 2013 the construction of a pipeline in the vicinity of the park was authorized by the Spanish [[Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Spain)|Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Autorizada la extracción de gas en el entorno de Doñana|url=http://sociedad.elpais.com/sociedad/2013/01/29/actualidad/1359486918_166847.html|access-date=23 March 2014|newspaper=El País|date=20 January 2013|author=Lucía Vallellano|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430221916/http://sociedad.elpais.com/sociedad/2013/01/29/actualidad/1359486918_166847.html|archive-date=30 April 2013}}</ref>

===Pilgrimage of El Rocío and ecological issues===
{{Main|Romería de El Rocío}}
[[File:Simpecado cruzando el Coto de Doñana, camino de vuelta de El Rocío IMGP3432.JPG|thumb|300px|Wagon bearing a ''Simpecado'' (banner with insignia that proceeds images of the Holy Virgin Mary)<ref name="BrdarGries2011">{{cite book|author1=Mario Brdar|author2=Stefan Thomas Gries|title=Cognitive Linguistics: Convergence and Expansion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i-L3_a_7cVAC&pg=PT168|year=2011|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing|isbn=978-90-272-2386-9|page=168}}</ref> crosses the Coto Doñana on its return from the pilgrimage of El Rocío, in May 2009.]]

The municipality of Almonte, and therefore the park, is situated in an area in which public manifestations of religious fervor have been frequent throughout the centuries. The deities of nature and water were worshiped by the ancient [[Iberians]], as in the goddess cult of [[Cybele]]. The cult rituals, similar in many ways to current Rocieras celebrations, were quickly adapted by the early Christians of these lands to be assimilated in their liturgy. They built a small basilica here, now defunct, but it was mainly after the reconquest of the area in 1262 that the Marian devotions were institutionalized. About 1270–1284, Alfonso X reconstructed the Chapel of St. Mary of Rocinas, and in 1337 [[Alfonso XI of Castile|Alfonso XI]] made the first recorded mention of the Marian cult in the area:

{{blockquote|text=...e señaladamente son los mejores sotos de correr cabo de una Iglesia que dicen de Santa María de las Rocinas.(... and in particular it is said that the best groves proceed from the church of St. Mary of Rocinas.)&nbsp;~Alfonso XI, 1337<ref name="Iglesias2003">{{cite book|author=Francisco Rodríguez Iglesias|title=Proyecto Andalucia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OLkWAQAAMAAJ&q=%22se%C3%B1alada%20mjente,%20son%20los%20meiores%20sotos%20de%20correr%20cabo%22|year=2003|publisher=Publicaciones Comunitarias|pages=125–126|isbn=9788493155315}}</ref><ref name="Cruz2000">{{cite book|author=David González Cruz|title=Religiosidad y costumbres populares en Iberoamérica|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y54NAAAAYAAJ&q=%22correr%20cabo%20de%20una%20Iglesia%22|year=2000|publisher=Universidad de Huelva|isbn=978-84-95089-49-6|page=241}}</ref>}}

The image of the Virgin at the [[Hermitage of El Rocío]] dates probably from the 13th century, although the current iconography representing the Virgin as a lady of the royal court was adopted in the late 16th century, according to the fashion of the time. The popularity of the cult of the ''Virgen del Rocío'' in modern times has raised concerns about the annual pilgrimage's effect on the natural environment of the park.

The park is used by pilgrims on their way to the [[Romería de El Rocío]]. As this event attracts a million pilgrims annually, it has a significant negative impact on the park's eco-system. The overcrowding of pilgrims around certain dates is evident not only in the village of El Rocío where the shrine is located, but also in places within and outside the park such as the Piara del Acebuchal, the Ajolí Bridge, Boca del Lobo and the Moguer road. This has been a publicity windfall for the park, but requires stepped-up park resources for fire prevention and general monitoring, and also has had a significant negative environmental impact (e.g., increased danger of wildfires, off-road SUVs damaging sensitive ground, etc.) denounced by environmentalists.

Wildfires are a recurrent issue for the park - see {{ill| Doñana fire in 2017|es|Incendio forestal de Doñana de 2017}}.