Cambio tecnológico, privatización y recuperación de la autogestión comunitaria del riego. El caso de Senyera (València)

Processes of technological change foster the silent penetration of private enterprise in collective irrigation water management in numerous areas of Spain, and in other Mediterranean countries. This paper discusses this phenomenon through a case study of the community of Senyera (València), tracking the privatization and subsequent contestation and re-takeover of water management by irrigation system users. The article shows how privatization removes users’ autonomy and increases irrigation costs in a context of little transparency. The case also highlights users’ capacity to re-value and re-sig-nify their past collective action, turning it into new, creative forms of self-governance

The Political Economy of Water Policy Design and Implementation in the Jucar Basin, Spain

Water scarcity has intensified conflicts between regions and interest groups for the use of water resources. Water policies have been implemented worldwide to face with water stress; however, existence of opposite interest between water users together with differences in their political power hinder the effectiveness of the water policy reform. A better understanding of users’ behavior is necessary to avoid the failure of water policies and the intensification of water scarcity problems and water conflicts. This paper empirically examines the perception of interest group about the implementation of different water policies to deal with water scarcity, and also their proactive involvement, or lobbying, with water organizations. We have conducted a survey in a water stressed basin in Southeastern Spain (Jucar River Basin) to analyze interest group opinions regarding water institutions’ performance and management; and the cost and benefits from group influence or lobbying on policy makers. The results highlight the existence of notably differences between the preferred measure to face with water scarcity together with sizable divergences in the active lobbying capacity of the interest groups depending on the size of the group, the specific basin location (upstream or downstream), and group characteristics.This Project was possible because the support of the project INIA RTA2014-00050-00-00. Ariel Dinar would like to acknowledge support by the Multistate Hatch Project W3190- Management and Policy Challenges in a Water-Scarce WorldPublishe

El debate sobre las políticas de agua: evidencia empírica de la sequía en el Júcar

La mala gestión de los recursos hídricos a nivel global es un motivo para reconsiderar las actuales políticas de agua. Los tres enfoques de instrumentos de política de agua son los precios de agua, los mercados de agua, y los instrumentos institucionales basados en la cooperación. En España se utiliza el enfoque institucional basado en la cooperación, la Unión Europea promueve los precios de agua para equilibrar la oferta y la demanda del recurso, y en Australia se han implementado los mercados de agua. Este trabajo compara estos tres tipos de instrumentos de política para afrontar las sequías en la cuenca del Júcar. El análisis indica que el instrumento institucional y el instrumento de mercados de agua tienen resultados similares, lo que demuestra que el actual enfoque institucional no es inferior a los mercados de agua. Otro resultado importante es que el instrumento de precios del agua conlleva unas pérdidas enormes para los agricultores, lo que convierte a esta alternativa en políticamente inviable. Este resultado cuestiona seriamente el énfasis de la Directiva Marco del Agua en el instrumento precios del agua para el regadío

Effects of drip irrigation promotion policies on water use and irrigation costs in Valencia, Spain

The aim of this study is to conduct an ex post analysis of the generalized implementation of drip irrigation in the last two decades in the Valencia Region (Spain). Due to the important role played by water users’ associations (WUAs) in this socio-technological change in the region, this research was based on 77 interviews with different WUAs that provided information prior and subsequent to modernization. Firstly, we review the published studies concerning the effects generated by this technological change and describe the drip irrigation promotion policies implemented by national and regional governments. Subsequently, we analyse the consequences for irrigation associations, including effects on water use and irrigation costs. The reduction of water withdrawals has been generally significant. This was possible because the regional contextual factors prevented, in most cases, crop intensification and areal expansion. Nevertheless, due to the enormous investment effort and the resulting maintenance costs, the technological change has increased irrigation costs, generating some uncertainties concerning the financial sustainability of some WUAs. In conclusion, a thorough assessment of contextual factors and accompanying measures such as technical assistance and monitoring appear to be indispensable to avoid unforeseen effects and to achieve the potential goals of conversion to drip technologiesThis study has been supported by the IMPADAPT project (CGL2013-48424-C2-1-R) with Spanish MINECO (Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad) and European FEDER funds.Sanchis Ibor, C.; García Molla, M.; Avellá Reus, LF. (2017). Effects of drip irrigation promotion policies on water use and irrigation costs in Valencia, Spain. Water Policy. 19(1):165-180. https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2016.025S16518019

El debate sobre las políticas de agua: evidencia empírica de la sequía en el Júcar

La mala gestión de los recursos hídricos a nivel global es un motivo para reconsiderar las actuales políticas de agua. Los tres enfoques de instrumentos de política de agua son los precios de agua, los mercados de agua, y los instrumentos institucionales basados en la cooperación. En España se utiliza el enfoque institucional basado en la cooperación, la Unión Europea promueve los precios de agua para equilibrar la oferta y la demanda del recurso, y en Australia se han implementado los mercados de agua. Este trabajo compara estos tres tipos de instrumentos de política para afrontar las sequías en la cuenca del Júcar. El análisis indica que el instrumento institucional y el instrumento de mercados de agua tienen resultados similares, lo que demuestra que el actual enfoque institucional no es inferior a los mercados de agua. Otro resultado importante es que el instrumento de precios del agua conlleva unas pérdidas enormes para los agricultores, lo que convierte a esta alternativa en políticamente inviable. Este resultado cuestiona seriamente el énfasis de la Directiva Marco del Agua en el instrumento precios del agua para el regadío

Adaptación de la agricultura a escenarios de cambio global. Aplicación de métodos participativos en la cuenca del río Júcar (España)

[EN] This paper develops a participatory methodology to integrate farmer’s vision in the design of an adaptation strategy to global change in the Jucar River basin. It aims at answering three questions: How farmers perceive climate change impacts; which adaptation measures they consider; and how they assess these measures. Participatory workshops with different actors were held in two areas (La Ribera and La Mancha Oriental). This methodology has allowed identifying the local impacts and consequences of global change, and the difficulties of the adaptation processes to climate change scenarios.[ES] El presente trabajo desarrolla una metodología participativa para integrar la visión de los agricultores en el diseño de una estrategia de adaptación al cambio global en la cuenca del Júcar. Responde a tres preguntas: cómo perciben los agricultores los impactos del cambio climático, qué medidas de adaptación identifican, y cómo las valoran. Se desarrolló mediante talleres participativos con actores de dos zonas de la cuenca (La Ribera y La Mancha Oriental). Además de identificar los impactos locales del cambio global, se analizan las dificultades de adaptación percibidas por los agricultores.Ortega-Reig, M.; García-Mollá, M.; Sanchis-Ibor, C.; Pulido-Velázquez, M.; Girard, C.; Marcos, P.; Ruiz-Rodríguez, M.... (2019). Adaptation of agriculture to global change scenarios. Application of participatory methods in the Júcar River basin (Spain). Economía Agraria y Recursos Naturales - Agricultural and Resource Economics. 18(2):29-51. https://doi.org/10.7201/earn.2018.02.02SWORD295118

Living Lab on improving groundwater governance in the Requena-Utiel aquifer

Resumen del trabajo presentado en el 7th IAHR Europe Congress, celebrado en Atenas (Grecia) del 07 al 09 de septiembre de 2022.The European research projects InTheMED and eGROUNDWATER share the aim of promoting innovative and sustainable management of the Mediterranean aquifers. One of the ways to achieve this objective is the creation of dynamic spaces in which all interested actors can cooperate, experiment and evaluate innovative ideas, different scenarios and new technologies on real cases of interest. In this regard, a living lab on improving groundwater governance, coordinated by the eGROUNDWATER team with the participation of the InTheMED team, was organized including all stakeholders who play a significant role in the management of the Requena-Utiel aquifer, which is a shared pilot site of the two projects. The aim of the living lab was to identify, together with stakeholders, problems and mitigation measures, and to evaluate possible strategies to satisfy the individual needs according to a sustainable use of the groundwater resources.Research financed by the InTheMED project, which is part of the PRIMA Programme supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (GA n. 1923). It has also received funding from the eGROUNDWATER project (GA n. 1921), part of the PRIMA programme supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme

Advancing Co-governance through Framing Processes: Insights from Action-Research in the Requena-Utiel Aquifer (Eastern Spain)

In recent years, co-management has been highlighted in the scientific literature as fundamental strategy for groundwater control. However, the development of this institutional architecture is complex and presents important pitfalls and challenges. In this article we analyse the recent experience of co-management in the Requena-Utiel aquifer (Spain), based on a participatory action research. It aims to advance the co-management of groundwater by facilitating a consensus among users, as a basis on which to support future self-governance measures. We used a cognitive framing approach, developed through interviews with local stakeholders, to analyse the conflicting visions on the aquifer management; and we developed an interactive framing approach, through workshops, to achieve a shared understanding of aquifer co-management. The research demonstrates the usefulness of these approaches to promote collective action and co-management in groundwater. It showed the key role that information and transparency play in gaining shared understanding and improving co-management; but also the difficulties of users in establishing agreements that question the current status quo on the aquifer

Photovoice: Integrating participatory photography into different teaching contexts

[EN] This paper presents different methodological proposals whose common axis is the application of photovoice adapted in different university teaching contexts are and developed within the framework of the Innovation Project "Photovoice: using participatory photography for the development of transversal competences". This first phase of implementation has consisted of the methodological adaptation of the photovoice to a wide variety of degrees and subjects in order to design teaching-learning activities that provide a suitable context that improves motivation, in which the active participation of students is promoted, as well as the development of skills such as effective communication and critical thinking. Likewise, an evaluation strategy has been designed to collect evidence to determine the degree of achievement of the learning objectives set, the improvement of student participation and their level of satisfaction with the methodology. The preliminary results of its implementation reveal optimum student participation and a high level of satisfaction, as well as a greater integration of aspects dealt with in the different subjects.[ES] En este trabajo se exponen diferentes propuestas metodológicas que presentan como eje común la aplicación del fotovoz adaptada en diversos contextos docentes universitarios y desarrolladas en el marco del Proyecto de Innovación “Fotovoz: usando la fotografía participativa para el desarrollo de competencias transversales”. Esta primera fase de la implementación ha consistido en la adaptación metodológica del fotovoz a una amplia variedad de titulaciones y asignaturas con el fin de diseñar actividades de enseñanza-aprendizaje que proporcionen un contexto adecuado que mejore la motivación, en el que se promueva la participación activa del alumnado, así como el desarrollo de competencias como la comunicación efectiva, o el pensamiento crítico. Asimismo, se ha diseñado una estrategia de evaluación que permita la obtención de recopilación de evidencias para determinar el grado de consecución de los objetivos de aprendizaje planteados, la mejora de la participación del alumnado y su nivel de satisfacción sobre la metodología. Los resultados preliminares de su implementación revelan una óptima participación del alumnado y un grado de satisfacción elevado, así como una mayor integración de aspectos tratados en las diferentes asignaturas.Agradecemos al Instituto de Ciencias de la Educación de la Universitat Politécnica de València la financiación del Programa de Innovación y Mejora Educativa A+D 2022 para el proyecto “Fotovoz: usando la fotografía participativa para el desarrollo de competencias transversales”Ortega-Reig, M.; Abarca, JM.; Aragón, P.; Aznar, E.; Bayón, A.; Caballos, I.; Escribano, S.... (2023). Fotovoz: Integrando la fotografía participativa en diferentes contextos docentes. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1152-1165. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2023.2023.166871152116

Collective irrigation reloaded. Re-collection and re-moralization of water management after privatization in Spain

[EN] In recent decades, water has been subjected to different commodification and de-collectivization processes. Increasingly, this is also affecting collective irrigation Water management. Critical analysis of this privatization and de-collectivization wave in the irrigation sector has mainly focused on neoliberal institutional policies and market-oriented legislation. However, subtly and silently but equally determinant, the adoption of water-saving technologies is fostering the penetration of private enterprise and market-based governance into these hydro social settings. This paper discusses this phenomenon through a case study of the community of Senyera in Valencia, Spain, tracking the privatization and subsequent contestation and re-takeover of water management by irrigation system users. The article shows how privatization removes users' autonomy in the name of common well-being, and increases irrigation costs in a context of little transparency. But the case also highlights users' capacity to re-value and re-signify, their past collective action, remembering and 're-membering to' the collective. Senyera water users critically and reflexively analyse privatization, reconstruct societal relationships around and embedded inside the new technology, and re-collectivize and re-moralize irrigation management in a new hydro social scenario.Support for this research has been partially provided by the project INIA RTA2014-00050-00-00 from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, partially financed with ERDF funds.Sanchis Ibor, C.; Boelens, R.; García Molla, M. (2017). Collective irrigation reloaded. Re-collection and re-moralization of water management after privatization in Spain. Geoforum. 87:38-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2017.10.002S38478