MAYORS & WATER Water Scarcity and Reuse ANDRES MARTINEZ FRANCES DIRECCION GENERAL DEL AGUA REGION DE MURCIA

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1 MAYORS & WATER Water Scarcity and Reuse ANDRES MARTINEZ FRANCES DIRECCION GENERAL DEL AGUA REGION DE MURCIA

2 REGION OF MURCIA: A WATER SCARCITY LABORATORY (Spain Km2. Inhabitants: ) Region of Murcia: Inhabitants: Municipalities: 45 Annual rainfall: 300/350 mm /yr Water Budget: 1000 Hm3 /yr Natural Resources: 500 Hm3 /yr Water Deficit: 400/500 Hm3 /yr Basin Water Allocation: 400 m3/person/yr. International Level of Water Poverty: 1000 m3/person/yr.

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5 THE REGION OF MURCIA APROACH TO WATER SCARCITY SCARCITY (SEMI-ARID CLIMATE) HIGH AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY HIGH EFICIENCY ON WATER USE SOURCE OF WEALTH

6 REGION OF MURCIA ULTIMATE AIMS To ensure the allocation of water (quantity and quality) to all needs Allowing the normal living of people: water as a human right Principles: sustainability and territorial solidarity among others

7 WATER DEMAND MANAGEMENT IN AGRICULTURE What the Region of Murcia has already done: Irrigation systems well advanced and adapted for drip irrigation. Agricultural sector: highly productive, unsubsidized, devoted to export. Some illustrative figures on the field: The region of Murcia has hectares of irrigated land (35%) Water use per hectare is very low (3.500 m3/ha/yr) and profitability is also the highest. Investment (past 15 years): 500 million, 30% directly pay by users, 20% population beneficed. Agriculture accounts for 10% economy in the Region, 3% in Spain. Thousands of farmers receive specialized training on efficient water management.

8 WATER DEMAND MANAGEMENT IN AGRICULTURE Water consumption for irrigation Fruits and vegetables export 3,4 % Rest of Spain Murcia 20 %

9 WATER DEMAND MANAGEMENT IN AGRICULTURE

10 THE TAGUS-SEGURA INTER-BASIN TRANSFER Transfer from other basins: the best solution for certain water scarcity areas: A successful element to meet the needs in semiarid regions. The Tagus-Segura transfer: since Canal 300 km long, from central Spain to SE The Transfer is the best State effort to achieve a national Water Resources System A good guideline for cooperation and a good example to alleviate water scarcity areas The Tagus-Segura carries an average of 400 Hm3/yr: 45% of the regional water budget.

11 THE TAGUS-SEGURA INTER-BASIN TRANSFER Some key ideas to illustrate the role of this Transfer: The water transferred is paid by users (urban and agricultural) in the Segura Basin The payment is transferred to cover the needs in the Tagus Basin (348 M Euros up to date) The water carried is allocated to: drinking (2,5 M people), agriculture (60%) and environment Economic and social success: irrigation hectares, landowners, food to export The water transfer to Segura Basin is linked to the existence of water availability in the Tagus Basin: Memorandum of Understanding

12 THE TAGUS-SEGURA INTER-BASIN TRANSFER

13 REUSE OF REGENERATED WATER IN MURCIA REGION The most remarkable achievement of the Region and its Municipalities: The regeneration of all wastewater produced in Murcia region: not a desire but a fact! And the subsequent reuse of all that regenerated water in agricultural uses and the environment. We are talking about 100 Hm3 of recycling water reused each year: 20% of regional Water Budget. Number of facilities: 100 (investment 635 M ), half of them small to reach all regional population.

14 REUSE OF REGENERATED WATER IN MURCIA REGION Some key ideas to illustrate the role of this non conventional water resource: All citizens finance the operating system cost (40 M /yr) with a special tax paid on water bill. The system (facilities, taxation, etc) is managed by a single administrative entity, no depends on each municipality. The treatment given to waste water is tertiary, so the regenerated water is pre-drinkable. The recycled water is allocated to: irrigation an environment (river flow and wetlands). Other results: price awards, the Segura river as the cleaner in Spain

15 REUSE OF REGENERATED WATER IN MURCIA REGION

16 DESALINATION OF WATER IN MURCIA REGION The most advanced technologies to remove water from the sea: The Region of Murcia has five greats sea desalination plants to remove. They can produce aprox 140 hm3 / yr The treatment given to water is in order to be use in different needs (drinking o irrigation water) An important numbers of farmers even has its own desalination plants To produce water from brackish underground water The costs are funded by the users, but it is expensive

17 DESALINATION OF WATER IN MURCIA REGION

18 NATURAL RESOURCES 43% TAGUS-SEGURA TRANSFER 25% UNDERGROUND WATER 12% REGENERATED WATER 10% DESALINATION WATER 10%

19 USER & WATER A governance system to address scarcity and drought as normal condition in semiarid climate condition. How to close the gap: the water we have (500 Hm3/yr) and the Water we need (1000 Hm3/yr). Water demand management: there has been done a lot on this side of the problem in the region. Alternative water resources: desalination, reuse of reclaimed water, transfers from other basins and groundwater abstraction. Strong involvement: Municipalities, irrigators, tourists and residents. Legal system: Supply depends on the State, Demand lay on the jurisdiction of regional and Local authorities. Water Governance principles: Solidarity and cooperation, economic sustainability and environmental protection.

20 A governance system adapted to semiarid climates conditions USERS INVOLVEMENT IN WATER GOVERNANCE Strong involvement of user to water awareness: farmers, tourists and residents. Water resources Spanish legal system: role of the state and regions The Spanish Water Law: the supply of water depends on the State (central government) The activities that demand water lay on the jurisdiction of the Regions and Local authorities. Regional authority with high responsibility on waste water and reuse system Local authorities highly involved on water supply and distribution

21 USERS INVOLVEMENT IN WATER GOVERNANCE High involvement of irrigators communities: The irrigators communities (IC) manage all the water allocated to them (direct involvement) IC: associations endowed with public power to deliver water services and solving conflicts This self-administration is also well known for its efficiency with water losses no more than 3% The role of civil society: citizens, tourists, residents, stakeholders Region of Murcia: people pays (without social protest) the most expensive water in Spain Supported mass media water culture : consumption is among the lowest in Spain In the Region of Murcia the natural allocation per inhabitant/year is 400 m3 After the management and governance system the figure reach 650 m3 But far away from United Nations recommendation 1000 m3 below which lies waterpoverty

22 LESSONS LEARNED IN THE REGION OF MURCIA Water Transfers must be included in the Integrated Water Resources Management. Spain: enough water for all but unequally distributed (as in other nations) It is needed a specific framework for water governance in semiarid regions. Despite some naive ideas, water transfers could be necessary once not much more can be done on the side of demand-management an Climate Change is making thins even worse. Integration of resources conventional and non-conventional: natural surface and groundwater, reuse of regenerated water, desalination of sea water and brackish water and transfer between basins. National Water Plan, Basin Water Plan. Involvement of Municipalities and regional authorities. The power of cooperation and solidarity as key elements of Water Governance in the most dry and water stressed region in Europe. Need of regulation on water distribution Focus on only one exploitation system for the whole basin

23 Input for Urban Water Agenda 2030 Murcia has huge experience on water scarcity There has being done more effort on water efficiency In spite of it, is neccesary more initiative to resolve the problem with the guarantee and the reliability of water supply for all needs Issues up for discussion now Observatory of municipal water distribution indicators Water Transfers

24 THANK YOU