Water management has become a key element for the development of our country, both socially and economically. In fact, according to the United Nations (UN), water is a vital component for progress, as it is necessary for the normal functioning of every socioeconomic sector. For this reason, Facsa, A company with 150 years of experience in water cycle management in Spain has presented a study analyzing the water management model in our country.
The study, conducted over five months in collaboration with the public affairs consultancy Red2Red, stems from a clear context. Access to drinking water and sanitation are fundamental human rights, but the availability of water resources is finite and depends on factors such as population growth, economic growth, the emergence of new uses, and the effects of climate change. One example is the drought currently affecting many autonomous communities.
Infrastructure shortage
To that end, the First Study Facsa Regarding the water management model in Spain, the report concludes that the country must immediately establish a regulatory body for the urban water cycle. At the same time, it must standardize the tariff structure nationwide and proposes the creation of a National Water Fund to facilitate infrastructure investment, in line with public-private partnerships. The objective is to adapt our model as soon as possible through proper management of supply and demand, supporting hydrological planning based on solidarity among regions. This is also due to the scarcity of infrastructure and the need to renew existing infrastructure, improve its efficiency, and make a clear commitment to innovation and digitalization.
The report, which is public and can be viewed on the website www.elaguaprimero.com, This stems from a clear situation. Spain has a reservoir capacity of 56,000 cubic hectometers, meaning that at present (as of February 2024) the volume of water stored barely reaches 50,131 TP3T. In this situation, water stress (the ratio between freshwater extraction and resource availability) reaches 421 TP3T, placing our country third in the EU ranking, behind only Malta and Belgium.
Conversely, Portugal is at the other end of the spectrum with a ratio of 12%. This is a paradigmatic case, as it is also facing a similar drought situation. In fact, the Portuguese government has just approved a contingency plan that will affect agriculture and domestic consumption in the Algarve region.
“Spain, despite being one of the EU countries with the highest water stress, has a growing demand for water. This is primarily due to the shift from dryland to irrigated farming. For this reason, it is urgent to invest in infrastructure for the complete water cycle and to renew existing infrastructure, making it more efficient. It is equally important to invest in infrastructure that increases the water supply through non-conventional uses, such as reuse and desalination, while simultaneously reducing the impact of freshwater scarcity as a conventional resource. This is especially crucial in a complex scenario where we are already seeing the effects of climate change compounded by population growth and an increase in cultivated land. Without this progress, the water management system in Spain will be unsustainable.” said José Claramonte, general director of Facsa.
Opt for a single tariff structure
The report also addresses the current water model through its different uses. The largest percentage of consumption corresponds to the agricultural sector (801 TP3T), followed by domestic use, at 15.51 TP3T. In urban areas, the study detects a decrease in water availability since 2005. While wastewater treatment and reuse have remained stable, even increasing considerably until 2004, losses in urban supply have decreased, reaching 15.41 TP3T in 2020. Public investment in water transport, treatment, and supply has fallen to levels 501 TP3T lower than those recorded in 2010.
The study has identified a possible reason, concluding that Spain has one of the lowest electricity tariffs in the European Union, ranking seventh from the bottom. A similar situation exists regarding investment per capita, where it ranks only above Cyprus and Slovenia, while in terms of network length, Spain only surpasses countries like Romania, Malta, and Estonia. Therefore, the report points to the need for a single tariff structure, uniform across the country, that reflects operating costs and investment amortization.
Review of the current governance system
Along these lines, it also proposes a review of the current governance system so that it can evolve towards a regulatory framework that encourages citizen participation and contributes to a more sustainable management of the resource, from both an environmental and economic point of view.
To this end, the report prepared by Facsa proposes a new water management model based on a ten-point plan with proposed solutions ranging from the creation of a National Water Pact and increased investment in infrastructure to a commitment to the circular economy of water and digitalization. Furthermore, it focuses on an asset essential for society as a whole: promoting awareness and understanding of the proper use of water.
- Download the report at: elaguaprimero.com
