Territorial Transformation And Water Utilization: Hydrological Planning Scenarios In The Segura River Basin

Abstract

Considering the particular climatic and water conditions of this semiarid region in southeast Spain, the hydrographic basin of the Segura river is a very dynamic territory. This is reflected in the important spatial transformation that it has undergone in the second half of the 20th century, entailing the expansion of irrigated surfaces as well as extension of urban areas, as well as the proliferation of golf courses over the past two decades. The progressive increase in demand owing to such intensive use of water resources is linked to a supply-oriented hydraulic policy, with major infrastructural actions that contribute to a substantial water deficit, as registered by the latest hydrological plan. Meanwhile, the urban supply of water was decisively resolved to make sources of water supply available; recently, thanks to the new desalinization resources and the ensuing guarantee of supply, water is not a limiting factor for urban development along the coast, as reflected in the local urban plan. The current implementation of the European Water Framework Directive stands as a radical change in the orientation of hydraulic policy. Strict environmental supervision, which translates as the maintenance of ecological flows and the restriction of uses, will give rise to planning scenarios within the new hydrological context that maintain a water deficit only with regard to agricultural consumption. Otherwise, in light of the new measures, sustainable water scenarios can be envisioned.