Drought management in the Río Guadalhorce region of Andalucía, southern Spain

Abstract

The Guadalhorce catchment is characterized by hydrological extremes, severe flooding which has intermittently devastated the coastal conurbation of Málaga and riparian settlements upstream and periodic droughts of several years' duration. The region is also affected locally by high levels of salinity in soils and water. Attempts to manage this situation to permit economic development through agriculture and industry over several centuries seemed to have ameliorated the worst excesses and during the 20th century a series of major dam projects offered the potential for sustainable future economic growth. However, rapid population growth and shifting patterns of agriculture have brought the question of sustainability back on to the agenda.This paper analyses the hydrological characteristics of the severe drought of the mid-1990s, in terms of its impacts both on water quantity and water quality in the region. The strategies adopted to maintain domestic and tourist water supplies in the face of high demands from irrigation, particularly looking at the conjunctive use of groundwater, and the development of regional water grids are evaluated. The pressures on water quality, which developed in various parts of the Guadalhorce hydrological system, including in the main water supply network for the city, are also explored.The paper concludes that the demands on the water supply system are unlikely to be manageable through current strategies and that ecological and water quality issues will probably prove more critical than water volumes in determining approaches to management of future droughts.

Utopian River Planning and Hydrosocial Territory Transformations in Colombia and Spain

“…The new territorial order contains multiple dystopian faces reflected in the rural exodus and empty landscapes where the ruins of farmhouses exist now. According to [54], approximately 80% of the population moved from the surrounding towns to Malaga, 15% migrated from the city to rural areas or intermediate towns, and 5% remained in rural areas. Today the primary use of the Guadalhorce River is to supply the water demands of Malaga City, highly represented by the tourist population and the establishment of golf courses.…”