We came across the following posts on the following topic on the social media platform X:
These posts claim that the Spanish government has destroyed hundreds of dams in recent years under the pretext of restoring rivers to their natural courses and supporting biodiversity.
Some of the posts suggests that these actions were taken as part of the UN Agenda 2030, which appears to be a reference to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Other posts suggest that the European Union issued a directive prompting the removal of the dams.
The number of dams removed is also uncertain, with some of the posts indicating slightly above 100 dams being destroyed, while others suggest 256 dams were demolished.
Despite the differences in details, the posts on the topic all point to a link between the destruction of the dams and the recent flash floods in eastern Spain that led to at least 219 dead, many more missing and an estimated 3.5 billion euros in damage costs.
River Restoration in Spain and Beyond
We conducted a keyword search on the destruction and removal of dams in Spain and found reports that pointed to an extensive programme of river barrier removal across Europe.
An article in the BBC from May 2023 explained why ‘at least 325 barriers were being taken away across Europe’, including 125 in Spain, mentioning the restoration of biodiversity as the reason for their removal.
The article notes that while dams have potential benefits such as stopping flooding and generating renewal energy, they noted that there are an ‘estimated 150,000 old and unused dams and weirs across Europe’, and that restoring 25,000 km of rivers is one of the aims of the European Union Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.
The details in this article were corroborated in another by the World Economic Forum, which noted that ‘a record number of dams and other obstructions were removed from Europe’s rivers in 2022’, with Spain leading the way for both 2022 and 2021 in terms of the number of barriers removed.
Another article in the Spanish publication The Local noted that Spain’s destruction of its dams in 2021 took place amid the worst drought in 50 years.
While this appeared counterintuitive, many of the dams being demolished were Franco-era constructions built in the mid-20th century.
As a result of their age, a number of these were not in use, not considered viable for environmental or economic reasons, or were past their expected lifespan of about 50 years.
The Local noted that Spain is one of the European countries with the most dams. Nevertheless, even at the time, the removal of the river barriers was contentious, with some groups expressing opposition.
Dam the Floods
Using a combination of keyword searches and reverse image searches on the latest posts, we found multiple fact checks that addressed the claims of a link between the river barrier removals and the extent of the recent flooding.
A Reuters Fact Check article points out that the image of blue dots, supposedly denoting destroyed dams, overlaid on a map of the flood-affected Valencia region, is false and misleading.
Reuters spoke to an expert who explained that the dots did not indicate removed barriers or dams but instead existing weirs. Weirs are small barriers that raise the water level or divert its flow.
Reuters also quoted a spokesman for the region’s water network regulator, who said that no dams had been removed, but that weirs had been demolished at three locations in the province of Valencia in recent decades.
Another spokesman with an organisation that advocated for the removal of the barriers told Reuters that the weirs ‘lack the storage ability needed to mitigate flood impacts’, and as such, their removal would not exacerbate flooding but could even potentially lower river levels in flood-prone areas.
Another comprehensive fact-check was published in the Spanish fact-checking platform Maldita.es. Maldita.es supports the assertions by Reuters, noting that only weirs, not dams or reservoirs, were destroyed in the province of Valencia.
It also notes that in the province of Valencia, the weirs were removed before the current Spanish government led by the Socialist prime minister Pedro Sanchez, and that the barrier removal was not being done at the request of the European Union but instead carried out by institutions that manage water use of the rivers.
Like Reuters, Maldita.es explained that disused or poorly maintained structures in rivers could increase the risks of flooding, and that their removal promoted biodiversity and water quality. It also noted that the river basin organisations had a legal obligation to remove abandoned strictures.
Natural Disasters and Disinformation
The claims surrounding the floods in Spain are part of a widening trend of disinformation that tends to emerge whenever natural disasters occur. Black Dot Research recently debunked several false that emerged after the 2024 Sea of Japan earthquake, as well as to explain hurricanes and following the wildfires in Hawaii last year.
The European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO), which tracks disinformation in the EU, found a wide array of conspiracy theories that emerged after the floods, of which the dam removals was one. These narratives, which often point to similar causes between each disaster, downplay the role of climate change and are critical of governmental and international organisations.
While previous governments have removed some barriers in the country’s rivers, the claims of the dam removal leading to the floods are false.
There is also no involvement by the United Nations in the barrier removals, and while it aligns with EU objectives, does not appear to have been carried out at the direction of the EU.
These claims were also fact-checked by Reuters, Maldita.es, EDMO and Greenpeace.
