The Cultural and Environmental Enhancement of the Upper Basin of the River Vinalopo in Alicante (Spain). Historical Industrial Uses of Water: Weirs, Ancient Channels and Water Mills

This study has two parts. The first part analyzes the heritage value of the immovable and intangible cultural assets typical of the area under study. Secondly, a legal analysis is made of the concept of the “cultural park” and whether it may apply to this area.This study has been financed through the research project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, currently the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness: The Quality of Aquifers and the Impact of Agricultural Sources (DER2011-27765)

Underground waters: changes in groundwater policies

The 1988 Constitution of Brazil used the expression “water resources”, not translating its economic use, but as being for the general enjoyment of the collectivity, the populace. Debates on issues related to underground water availability as another source of the water supply have raised major concerns about the quantity, quality and depletion of this resource. Even using this tuning fork, this hydrogeological body of water remains in a situation of scarcity, in the same way as the superficial waters, because the knowledge of the subject is still hindered. In Brazil, for example, the distribution of water is far from homogeneous, although there is a government effort to protect this reservoir. The greatest challenge in terms of water resources conservation lies in the lack of effective mechanisms to control, protect and use these natural resources without impeding the economic growth of the country. On the other hand, the concept of there being a water crisis goes beyond scarcity, resulting from a combination of governance failures, environmental preservation, sustainability issues and disparity in access to water. While the human right to water requires the use of this sensitive and exhaustible resource, there is an obligation for states to ensure there is secure access and secure storage, and there is a need for a more active role of sustainability to be present in society at large; however, the underground water use and management reiterate the same flaws that lead to surface water degradation. In addition, the deliberate use of groundwater requires rational actions, as resource allocation is as important in equity, which is often crucial in governance decisions. In order to understand groundwater policies, it is imperative to understand the structure and actual sequence of events by analyzing the factors or attributes that make groundwater management successful in some regions, but not others

Del atraso a la convergencia. La red de carreteras en España, 1900-2010

La necesidad de dar respuesta al freno que suponía la deficitaria red de transporte terrestre para el crecimiento de la economía se convirtió en un objetivo básico de la política inversora del Estado durante el siglo XX. Un primer esfuerzo constructor se produjo en el primer tercio del siglo, dando inicio a la etapa contemporánea del transporte por carretera en España. Tras el parón de la postguerra civil, un nuevo impulso tuvo lugar a partir de 1960 y hasta la crisis de mediados de los setenta, multiplicándose las inversiones destinadas a este fin. Durante la transición asistimos a una brusca caída de las inversiones que llevó aparejado un estancamiento de la longitud de la red y a la transferencia de una parte de las carreteras a las nacientes Comunidades Autónomas. El país realizó, desde mediados de los ochenta y ayudado por los fondos europeos, un esfuerzo considerable, pasando de país atrasado a converger con Europa en equipamiento de grandes infraestructuras de transporte.The need to address the constraint on the growth of the Spanish economy caused by the deficient road transport network became a primary objective of the State’s investment policy during the whole of the 20th century. An initial effort to build the network was made in the first thirty years of the century, marking the start of the contemporary era of road transport in Spain. This development was interrupted by the civil war, then, a new boost in road construction took place between 1960 until the crisis of the mid 1970s, a period during which investments in road infrastructure were multiplied. During the Transition period there was a sharp fall in investments, no efforts were made to extend the length of the network and the competences for part of the roads were transferred to the newly-formed Autonomous Regions. From the mid-1980s and with the help of European funds, Spain made a considerable effort to modernise its network. It is no longer underdeveloped and has converged with the rest of Europe in terms of its largescale transport infrastructure facilities

Wastewater Treatment and Water Reuse in Spain

El tema de la depuración y la reutilización de las aguas es de gran trascendencia, sobre todo en los espacios donde la escasez de recursos convencionales es un problema estructural, como es el caso de España. El potencial que presenta este recurso no convencional, estratégico en las situaciones de déficit, es incuestionable; máxime si se tiene en cuenta en el marco de la planificación y bajo el supuesto de un modelo de explotación hídrica que tenga como objetivo prioritario la conservación, protección y mejora de la calidad del agua, y la utilización sostenible y eficiente de los recursos naturales. En el trabajo se pone de manifiesto cómo depuración y reutilización van ligadas, ya que la reutilización de aguas residuales está asociada a una regeneración previa, y son dos herramientas esenciales del modelo ambiental del agua, tal como lo preconiza la normativa comunitaria. El ingreso de España en las instituciones europeas ha sido un revulsivo en los temas ambientales, por cuanto ha supuesto la exigencia de adaptar al país a la normativa europea, mucho más exigente. El esfuerzo realizado ha sido importante, pero todavía estamos lejos de cumplir con todos los requerimientos de Europa.The issue of wastewater treatment and the reuse of water is of great importance, especially in areas where the shortage of conventional resources is a structural problem, as it is in the case of Spain. The likelihood that this unconventional, strategic resource would become scarce is unquestionable, particularly in cases where water planning and exploitation systems prioritize the preservation, protection and improvement of water quality, as well as the sustainable and efficient use of natural resources. This paper shows how wastewater treatment and reuse are linked, as the reuse of wastewater is associated with a previous regeneration, and both of them are essential tools for maximizing environmental outcomes, as called for in the European Union Directives.Este trabajo ha sido financiado en parte por la Fundación Séneca-Agencia de la Ciencia y la Tecnología, con cargo al Proyecto “El papel de los mercados del agua en la gestión integrada de los recursos hídricos en las cuencas deficitarias” (Ref. 19325/PI/15)

The "Tajo-Segura" hidraulic transfer and the center of the political confusion in the transition time

Con el inicio de la transición democrática en España, el Trasvase Tajo-Segura fue cuestionado desde diferentes ópticas. Por un lado, las distintas formaciones políticas lo criticaron por entender que se trataba de una obra decidida y prácticamente ejecutada durante el franquismo y, por lo tanto, antidemocrática. Por otro, el inicio de la configuración del Estado de las Autonomías puso de manifiesto las diferencias regionales en cuanto a la corrección del desequilibrio hidrológico.At the beginning of the democratic transition in Spain, the Tajo-Segura hydraulic transfer facilities were questioned from different points of view. On the one hand diverse political parties criticized than arguing that it was a decision taken and almost totally executed during the Franco regime and so anti-democratic. On the other hand, the beginning of the organization of the State in "autonomías" displayed the regional differences in terms of the correction of the hydraulic disequilibrium

The Urban Water Cycle in Bogotá, Colombia: Current Status and Challenges for Sustainability

Conocer los componentes y el comportamiento del ciclo urbano del agua permite gestionar de manera adecuada los recursos ambientales y económicos de una ciudad, pues este concepto integra elementos hidrológicos, hídricos, de abastecimiento, de distribución, uso del agua, de recolección, tratamiento y reutilización. En Bogotá, las tasas de crecimiento poblacional y geográfico aumentan de manera acelerada, a tal punto que el ciclo urbano del agua cada vez adquiere mayor importancia para administraciones públicas, privadas y para los habitantes debido a la búsqueda de fuentes de abastecimiento, a la ampliación de la infraestructura de saneamiento básico y al aporte de contaminantes a ríos. Con base en lo anterior, este artículo ofrece un diagnóstico del estado actual de los componentes del ciclo urbano del agua en Bogotá, además presenta diferentes retos que tiene la ciudad para un futuro ambiental, social y económico sostenible.Understand the components and the behavior of the Urban Water Cycle is useful to management the environmental and economic resources of a city. This concept integrates hydrological, water supply, distribution, water use, water pollution, harvesting, treatment and reuse. In Bogotá the rates of population and geographic growth are going to accelerated pace, to the point that the urban water cycle is gaining greater importance in public and private administrations, because is necessary search new sources of water supply, extension of basic sanitation infrastructure and the control of pollutants in Bogotá’s rivers. According to the above, this paper presents an analysis of the current state of the components of the urban water cycle in Bogotá, additionally presents different challenges facing the city for sustainable environmental, social and economic future

Alternative tariff structures and household composition: Evidence from Spain's Valencia region

Water pricing is one of the fundamental tools for water resources management. However, the current tariff structure in Spain has associated problems in relation to the composition of households. This paper analyses the current tariffs of Spain's Valencia region and studies the effect of alternative tariff structures. The results show an imbalance irrespective of the tariff applied even when the number of household members is considered, as the relationship between the number of household members and water consumption is not linear. Therefore, the problem is not the tariff structure per se but not including the composition of the household in the tariff.This work was financed by the Office of the Vice President of Research and Knowledge Transfer of the University of Alicante, Spain (Marcos García-López has a scholarship for The Training of University Teachers from the University of Alicante (UAFPU 2019-16)

Household energy consumption and the financial feasibility of self-consumption through photovoltaic panels in Spain

Energy consumption is one of the main costs faced by households, both financially and environmentally. This article analyses the energy consumption of Spanish households and the cost of installing solar panels in order to determine the potential of this form of energy production on a household level. The results show that households with a larger number of members have a higher total consumption but a lower consumption per person. The composition of the household is therefore a key determinant of the potential savings from solar panels. This alternative is financially viable, as the unit price paid for energy in these households is between €0.28 and €0.29 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), while the average cost per kWh obtained from the panels is between €0.15 and €0.21. However, the current public subsidies for the installation of solar panels in Spain are inaccessible to 68% of the country’s households, and there are difficulties in the distribution of energy in neighbouring communities. In other words, although in financial terms home PV self-consumption is a financially viable option, the inability to obtaining subsidies makes the initial investment a major barrier for many households.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This work was financed by the Office of the Vice President of Research and Knowledge Transfer of the University of Alicante, Spain (Marcos García-López has a scholarship for The Training of University Teachers from the University of Alicante (UAFPU2019-16)

Water Pricing Policy as Tool to Induce Efficiency in Water Resources Management

This research seeks to determine and analyze the reaction to an increase in the water invoice with the aim of introducing improvements in wastewater treatments. To this end, the purification situation is analyzed and the price elasticities of demand are obtained through Ordinary Minimum Squares. The results show that there are several small noncompliant treatment plants, as well as a complex interaction among consumption, price, and income. In many cases, the results offer small or significant differences without a clear pattern. However, it highlights the number of household members as it is strongly related to consumption and price and not considering it in the elaboration or modification of the water tariff would lead to inefficiencies. A reduction in revenue has also been found due to the strong consumer reaction, so it is necessary to assess in more depth what kind of price change would be most appropriate, as well as whether such measures would be best suited to address the problem.This research was financed by the Office of the Vice President of Research and Knowledge Transfer of the University of Alicante, Spain (Marcos García-López has a scholarship for The Training of University Teachers from the University of Alicante, UAFPU2019-16)