Storms at the start of 2026 damaged infrastructure and farming across Andalusia, forcing the regional government to spend heavily on repairs. The Junta says it will include a contingency fund in its 2027 budget to respond faster to future storms. Budget reporting on the draft plan puts the general contingency fund at €25 million, up from €16 million, an increase of €9 million or 56.25%. The fund is intended for extraordinary circumstances, including natural disasters and other unforeseen adverse events, rather than being set aside exclusively for storms.
The fund may be topped up, though its final design has not been settled. Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Ramón Fernández-Pacheco said the region must learn from extreme weather and prepare to deal with its effects. The same draft budget reportedly includes €15 million to protect farmers and ranchers from pests and diseases, a separate instrument with different eligibility and use conditions. On 5 November, Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture reportedly disbursed €23.9 million to 17,314 farmers and ranchers affected by recent storms in Andalusia and Extremadura. Storm damage has also hit agriculture elsewhere in Spain. A separate measure sets olive-oil storage requirements for the 2026/27 campaign, covered in an earlier agriculture report.
Fernández-Pacheco also urged residents and institutions to keep saving water despite recent rainfall filling reservoirs. He warned that rain could stop for an extended period and said efficient water use remained necessary. The draft 2027 allocation for agriculture, fisheries, water and rural development was reported at €1.602 billion, a 15% increase. Another €761 million was allocated for water policy.
That concern goes hand in hand with the Junta’s push to complete the Alcolea dam. Fernández-Pacheco called the project a regional priority and said the Andalusian government was waiting for the national government to approve a route to finish the works. Reporting on the region’s hydraulic infrastructure identified Alcolea as the leading priority among 92 state-linked works awaiting progress. The minister has asked Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge to update construction prices and authorize the Junta to take responsibility for completing the dam. The project has a financing agreement, planning, an award procedure and an approved environmental-impact statement.
He said the Junta had offered to work with the central administration. The dam, he argued, would help secure water supplies and reduce possible flood peaks on the Río Odiel, protecting Gibraleón and Huelva city. Grupo Azvi has submitted a public-private cooperation proposal covering the Trigueros Canal, water-treatment facilities and associated infrastructure. Fernández-Pacheco also said the company was willing to help complete the project, and accused Sánchez’s government of making promises about it for eight years without delivering.
The Junta says it is weighing every option to finish the infrastructure, which Fernández-Pacheco said should have been completed long ago. Andalusia activated the pre-emergency phase of its flood plan on 9 November ahead of Storm Bruna, after forecasts of heavy, persistent rain.
