The ruling Socialist Party and the conservative opposition Popular Party backed the measure, which would ensure drinking water supplies for around five million people in the Barcelona region.

Under the scheme, an existing pipeline that channels water from Ebro to the city of Tarragona will be extended up to Barcelona.

Environment Minister Elena Espinosa told parliament the scheme would start in the autumn and be in place for nine months, until a desalinisation plant becomes operational in Barcelona in 2009.

The national meteorological institute has said Spain has had 40 percent less rain than normal in the meteorological year which began October 1.

Water reserves across the country have fallen to less than 50 percent of capacity, a 20 percentage point drop over the level recorded a decade ago.

But the situation is especially critical around Barcelona, capital of the northeastern region of Catalonia.

Authorities in Barcelona already plan to receive fresh water supplies by boat from next month from other parts of Spain and neighbouring France.

The opposition Popular Party has criticized the government for backing the Ebro project for Barcelona despite refusing to approve a similar plan for the regions of Valencia and Murcia four years ago.

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