In the wetlands of Catalonia, farmers and environmentalists are working together to adapt to the region’s longest drought.

Mosquitoes buzz around the researchers near the banks of the River Ebro as they flood the fields and take readings.

The smell of sweat and bug repellent mingle in the humidity as the team tests water-saving strategies in the flooded fields at the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA) near Amposta.

The Ebro is Spain’s second longest river - meandering through the north of the country before spilling into the Mediterranean along the Catalonian coast, 200km south of Barcelona.

Here it forms one of Western Europe’s largest wetlands: the Ebro River Delta. It’s not only a habitat for many thousands of species but also serves as a source of hydroelectricity, eco-tourism and - most economically important - rice cultivation.