Virtually all Andalucía's rivers are dammed at least once in their
course. This provides the province with vital water and hydroelectricity
and there are large reservoirs throughout the province. The exception
is the very dry Almería province, which contains extensive semi-desert
areas of bare, eroded terrain with enough of a resemblance to the
Arizona landscape to have been used as the location for Western
films.
Desertification, or the loss of the region's topsoil is a big
problem in Andalucia, with almost half the land area of Malaga province
under threat, for example. Erosion comes from the action of rainwater
against the dry earth, washing it away during heavy winter storms,
and from the lack of vegetation to bind the surface together. Solutions
are being sought, with many tree-planting schemes across the region.
Some also favour the building of more reservoirs to control the
flow of water better.
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