18. Water Scarcity and Droughts in Spain: Impacts and Policy Measures

Water scarcity in Spain is driven by substantial irrigation development that took place during last century—first through collective waterworks and more recently by the surge in groundwater pumping. These mounting water scarcity impacts are compounded by quality degradation induced from urban and industrial point pollution, and from agricultural nonpoint pollution. Droughts are a recurrent event in Spain, and the country has progressively developed complex physical and institutional arrangements to cope with droughts—from mild to severe and long-lasting events. But as water scarcity intensifies in nearly all basins, droughts generate higher economic and environmental costs. Environmental effects are especially worrying because adjustments to scarcity and droughts in basins fall mainly on environmental flows, with escalating damages in aquatic ecosystems. While drought measures and plans in Spain have become quite robust and effective in dealing with drought spells, general water policies seem powerless to stop or dampen the worsening water scarcity in basins.