A section of the desalination plant in Torrevieja, Spain. To supply water for a number of needs, from tourism to agriculture, Spain and other dry nations are increasingly relying on desalination plants that convert seawater into fresh water. — ©2024 The New York Times Company
ON a fiery hot day in late June, tourists filled the cafes and hotel rooms along Spain’s Mediterranean coast, including in Torrevieja, a small city of tightly stacked apartment blocks running along a curved beach.
The seasonal population surge in this dry, sun-baked region might strain water resources were it not for a set of buildings overlooking a pink-tinged lagoon nearby.
