Institutional and Social Innovations in Irrigation Mediterranean Management
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Spain  Spain

General view

Water scarcity affects all the Spanish Mediterranean basins and provokes many impacts on environment and on local societies and farmers. Wetlands are in danger. The water demand is not covered by the surface water resources and the over-exploitation of groundwater is a common problem everywhere. Thus, the Government propose, for many years ago, a National hydrologic plan which consist to organise a big transfer of water resources from the northern basins to the mediterranean southern ones, trough the construction of dams and canals. This project is debated in the country where regional reactions are very strong, and where new stakeholders appear, as the "new culture of water". In fact, besides the ancient irrigation areas, Spain has encouraged people to develop new schemes through pumping stations, sometimes individuals, others collectives with users' association. At local level, Spain has a long tradition of self-organised irrigators communities and many people use to cultivate small plots. The examples of Jucar and Genil basins (Valencia and Grenada), make it possible to understand how users' syndicates are preparing to modernise and adapt to new context and conditions : less water available for agriculture.

The Case studies

Jucar Watershed

Click on image
Jucar basin irrigated zoneThe Júcar hydrological district covers 43 998 Km2 and provides 238 600 m3/year, which supplies a population of 4 million residents, 1,7 million of seasonal inhabitants and nearly 300,000 ha of irrigable lands. Agricultural demand represents around 80% of the total of the water uses.

The distribution of the irrigation water is mostly carried out in collective form by local farmer entities created solely with this objective. We can differentiate between entities that use surface waters and those that use groundwater. The first are, in general, very old - some were created in the middle ages - and they using more water than the crops need. They use traditional technologies for water allocation, which are generally inefficient from both technical and economic points of view. By contrast, the associations using groundwater are of recent creation - almost all starting in the sixties and seventies. They were promoted by the farmers themselves who wish a more efficient production, but they have a strong environmental impact.

The impact of the agriculture in the hydraulic system is very strong because of unsustainable rates of use. Moreover, the intensive use of fertilizers causes diffused contamination, creating risks for urban uses in certain areas.

The Hydrological Plan for the basin has limited the maximum volumes for agricultural use. The objective for the next ten years is a reduction of the consumption of 200 Hm3 per year. The plan proposes actions to modernise traditional irrigable land areas.

This process is causing technical problems related to the change of irrigation infrastructures but also to administration and management. This will demand significant changes in technologies for handling and distributing water.

Our first partner in the project, "Acequia Real del Júcar (USUJ)" distributes water for 22.000 Ha of small farms (1,1 Ha on average), producing oranges, other fruit, vegetables and rice. The Hydrological Plan for the basin has foreseen to reduce the use of water by 100 Hm3 per year. Technical and managerial modernization is urgent.

USUJ is leader of a group of six collective irrigation communities (Comunidades de Regantes) that distributes and uses all the water supply from the Alarcon's reservoir (1.100 Hm3 of capacity). These communities are all pushed to undertake a similar process of modernization.

Plan hidrológico nacional (España)
Greenpeace and the National Hidrologic Program

Cacin - Genil Watershed

Click on image
Genil high basin irrigated landsThe 6 255 ha irrigated Cacín area is situated on the south-western edge of the Granada basin, at an altitude of 600 to 700 metres above sea level. The area is supplied with regulated water from the Bermejales reservoir which increased its catchments area thanks to a transfer from the river Alhama, both tributaries on the left bank of the river Genil in the province of Granada. Since five years ago, the channel and the irrigation network have been managed by the Board and the Communities, which are made up by six full members and a seven associate members.

Water supply in this area is among the highest during dry and medium years, and among the lowest during wet years, within the body of the 22 irrigation areas of public promotion in the Guadalquivir basin. This data indicates better water management. In 1995 the area's irrigation systems were: 83.5% gravity, 10.5% sprinkler and 6% localized. This situation is changing due to the increase in olive groves with localized irrigation, even outside the legal limits of the irrigation area.

Users tendency is to increase the irrigation area in their own region. In collaboration with the Andalucian Autonomous Government, works have been undertaken to modernise the irrigation systems.



 Related ressources


 Agricultural
figureSchema of Cacin canal irrigation system - Genil basin (figure)

 Cartography - GIS - Remote sensing
mapDefinition of ICA Network - Júcar water quality control network (map)
mapLower Genil basin - Cacin canal irrigated lands (map)
mapJúcar / Xúquer river USUJ water users associations (map)
mapThe regions of the Hydrographic Confederation of the Júcar (map)

 Case studies
reportISIIMM project: Case studies synthesis, Spain - Institutional framework for local irrigation management in Spain: the case of upper genil and low jucar valleys (english) (report)

 Historical
articleChanging for nothing : market economy, institutionalized collective action and socio-economic evolution in the hydraulic system of Murcia (XVIIIth-XXth c.) (article)

 Hydrological - Hydraulic
mapSpanish National Hydrological Plan (map)
videoVideo : modernisation of traditional irrigation perimeters - Jucar, Spain (video)
figureSchema of USUJ irrigation system - Júcar basin (figure)

 Hydropolitics
articlePerennialisation of the Hydraulic Plans in Spain (article)
reportThe Evolution of the National Water Regime in Spain (report)
bookProperty of perennial waters of the southeastern Iberia (book)

 Images / Photos
photoPhotos Mission Spain Acequia Real del Jucar, March 2004 (photo)
photoPhotos Albufera irrigation perimeter, Sueca canal, Valencia, Spain, March 2004 (photo)
photoPhotos mission Genil irrigation system, Granada, Spain, March 2004 (photo)
photoPhotos Valencia, Spain, March 2004 (photo)
photoPhotos exchange seminar Morocco - Spain : Field visite of the Jucar canal intake ARJ, region of Valence, Spain, November 2005 (photo)

 Institutional
videoWater Tribunal of Valence - Spain (video)
linkNew Water Culture Foundation (link)
linkHispagua (Spanish Water System of Information) (link)
linkMENBO (MEditerranean Network of Basin Organisations) (link)
linkUSUJ - Syndical Unit of Jucar Water Users (link)
linkGuadalquivir Hidrographic Confederation (link)
linkFERAGUA Federation of Irrigator communities - basin of Guadalquivir (link)
linkFENACORE National Federation of Water Users Communities of Spain (link)
docOrganisation of Local Management of the Irrigation - Spain (doc)
docOrganization of the Hydrographic Confederations - Spain (doc)

 ISIIMM Posters
posterSeminar poster - Water Framework Directive, Valence, Spain, November 2004 (poster)
posterExchanges seminar Spain - Morocco : Water Management for Irrigation in Western Mediterranean, Valencia Dec. 2005 (poster)

 Legislation
docSpain : Water law 29/1985, 2 august. (doc)
docSpain: Real Decree 849/1986 (doc)
docSpain: Regulation of Public Hydraulic Domain (doc)
docHidrological National Plan of Spain - Legislation : présentation of reasons (doc)
docWater law : royal decree 927/1988 (doc)

 Methodology - guidelines
reportWater management of the Real del Jucar Canal Community of irrigators (report)
guidelinesMethodological guidelines for ISIIMM Spanish case studies (guidelines)

 Planning
reportWater White Book (Libro Blanco del Agua) - Spain (report)
linkWhite Book of Agriculture - Libro Blanco (link)
docNational Irrigation Plan Spain - Chapter 1 : Justification of a national irrigation plan - (doc)
docNational Irrigation Plan Spain - chapter 4 : actual situation of irrigation (doc)
docNational Irrigation Plan Spain - chapter 2 : Elaboration of the national irrigation plan - chapter 2 (doc)
docSpain : National Plan of Irrigations (doc)
docNational Irrigation Plan - Chapter 5 : Programme of actions (doc)
docNational Irrigation Plan Spain - Chapter 6 : Development and execution of the NIP (doc)
docInvestments program of the National Hidrological Plan 2001-2008 (doc)
docNational Irrigation Plan Spain - Chapter 3 : Basic references of agrarien sector. (doc)

 Seminars
videoInterview of ISIIMM project Spain national coordinator, Valencia, Novembre 2005 (video)

 SIG software
softwaregvSIG - GIS of the generalitat of Valencia (software)
softwaregvSIG - GIS of the generalitat of Valencia (software)

 Social Water Management
videoVideo - Interview of ISIIMM project Morocco's national coordinator, Mohamed El Faiz (UCAM), Valencia, Novembre 2005 (video)

 Territorial
mapLand Appropiation of Valenciens in the lands of Acequia Real del Jucar (1855-1865) (map)
mapMap of the Real del Jucar canal and the villages and cities belonging to the community (map)
mapDistribution of irrigated surfaces - Sollana 1859, Valence (map)

 Water management
docSpain, Andalusia and water control (doc)

 WFD - Water Framework Directive
resourceSEHUMED - Base for the Study of the Mediterranean Humide Zones (resource)

 WFD Seminar ISIIMM Valence - November 2004
audio1. Water Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Welcome words by Juan Valero de Palma, USUJ (audio)
audio8.2 Water Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Session III - Consequences on agriculture of the WFD implementation, Andrés del Campo-Garcia, président of FENACORE [2/2] (audio)
audio10.2 Water Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Session III - WFD implementation consequences in Spain, Antonio Estevan, NWC [2/2] (audio)
audio10.1 Water Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Session III - WFD implementation consequences in Spain, Antonio Estevan, NWC [1/2] (audio)
audio9.2 Water Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Session III - Sustainable development of the Albufera, Valence, Enrique Cifres, CHJ [2/2] (audio)
audio9.1 Water Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Session III - Sustainable development of the Albufera, Valence, Enrique Cifres, CHJ [1/2] (audio)
audio8.1 Water Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Session III - Consequences on agriculture of the WFD implementation, Andrés del Campo-Garcia, président of FENACORE [1/2] (audio)
audio4.8 Water Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Session I - Implementation of the WFD in Spain by Teodoro Estrela, CHJ [8/8] (audio)
audio4.7 Water Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Session I - Implementation of the WFD in Spain by Teodoro Estrela, CHJ [7/8] (audio)
audio4.6 Water Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Session I - Implementation of the WFD in Spain by Teodoro Estrela, CHJ [6/8] (audio)
audio2. Water Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Welcome words by the Spanish coordinator (audio)
audio3. Water Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : seminar presentation by Claude Lefrou, VERSeau Development (audio)
audio4.1 Water Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Session I - Implementation of the WFD in Spain by Teodoro Estrela, CHJ [1/8] (audio)
audio4.2 Water Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Session I - Implementation of the WFD in Spain by Teodoro Estrela, CHJ [2/8] (audio)
audio4.3 Water Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Session I - Implementation of the WFD in Spain by Teodoro Estrela, CHJ [3/8] (audio)
audio4.4 Water Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Session I - Implementation of the WFD in Spain by Teodoro Estrela, CHJ [4/8] (audio)
audio4.5 Water Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Session I - Implementation of the WFD in Spain by Teodoro Estrela, CHJ [5/8] (audio)
diaporamaWater Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Session I - Implementation of the WFD in Spain by Teodoro Estrela, CHJ (diaporama)
diaporamaWater Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Session III - Consequences on agriculture of the WFD implementation, Andrés del Campo-Garcia, président of FENACORE (diaporama)
diaporamaWater Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Session III - Sustainable development of the Albufera, Valence, Enrique Cifres, CHJ (diaporama)
diaporamaWater Framework Directive, Seminar ISIIMM Valence, Nov.04 : Session III - WFD implementation consequences in Spain, Antonio Estevan, NWC (diaporama)


EURO-MEDITERRANEAN Regional Programme for Local Water Management
ME8/AIDCO/2001/0515/59763-P 016
Agropolis, France