Water wars: meet the guardians of one of Europe’s most vital wetlands

Donana national park in Andalucia, Spain, is being threatened by drought, over-consumption and rightwing MPs. Seven people who work there describe the fragile ecosystem and what it means to them

In the heart of Spain's Donana national park, a battle is being waged to safeguard one of the most important wetlands in Europe. Donana, with its impressive landscapes and extraordinary biodiversity, hosts an estimated 6 million migratory birds every year. But its fate hangs in the balance.

Despite declining water supplies, illegal wells and encroaching strawberry farms, and amid warnings from Unesco and the European Commission, the People's party (PP) and far-right Vox party in the Andalucian regional government are pushing to legalise irrigation in the park, which straddles the provinces of Huelva and Seville in south-west Spain.