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15 - The Jucar River Basin

from Part III - Engineered Rivers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 September 2021

By
Jose Albiac ,
Taher Kahil  and
Encarna Esteban
Edited by
Jurgen Schmandt  and
Aysegül Kibaroglu
Edited in association with
Regina Buono  and
Sephra Thomas
Jurgen Schmandt
Affiliation:
Houston Advanced Research Center
Aysegül Kibaroglu
Affiliation:
MEF University, Istanbul
Regina Buono
Affiliation:
University of Texas, Austin
Sephra Thomas
Affiliation:
University of Texas, Austin
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Summary

The Jucar Basin faces the challenge of meeting an enormous demand for irrigation while water quality degrades from urban, industrial, and agricultural pollution. Relying on engineering solutions is not enough. Empirical evidence in Jucar indicates that water markets and institutional policies seem to deal with water scarcity more successfully than water pricing and irrigation subsidies. A first water governance priority is to convince farmers of substituting freshwater for the available urban recycled water. Second, seawater desalination plants must be upgraded so they will work at full capacity. More long-term governance goals are to curtail surface irrigation diversions and groundwater extractions, and reallocating water to urban, industrial, and environmental uses. These reforms will only work if they get the support and cooperation of farmers by compensating them for the reallocation of water from agriculture to other sectors.

Keywords

JucarSpainwater governanceclosed basinwater technologiesirrigationdroughtsclimate changestakeholderssustainable management
Type
Chapter
Information
Sustainability of Engineered Rivers In Arid Lands
Challenge and Response
 , pp. 220 - 232
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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