Water scarcity challenges water security: a case for Spain's freshwater ecosystems

Water scarcity is an escalating environmental challenge, particularly in semi-arid regions like Spain, where balancing human and ecosystem needs is critical for sustainable development. Freshwater ecosystems are vital for biodiversity, water security, and economic systems, but often lose protection...

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Authors: Sabater Sergi, Barquín Ortiz, José|||0000-0003-1897-2636, Blasco, Julián, Elosegui, Arturo, García, Celso, Ginebreda, Antonio, Gómez Gómez, Carlos Mario, Muñoz, Isabel, Rico, Andreu, Rovira, Joaquim, Batalla, Ramon J.
Format: article
Publication Date:2025
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Cantabria (UC)
Repository:UCrea Repositorio Abierto de la Universidad de Cantabria
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:ucreareposit::98ba785f5b57e611ec7de2a0a4d1bf9a
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10902/39879
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Water scarcity
Water security
Freshwater ecosystems
Semiarid environments
Water stress ratio
Spain
Economic resilience
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spelling Water scarcity challenges water security: a case for Spain's freshwater ecosystemsSabater SergiBarquín Ortiz, José|||0000-0003-1897-2636Blasco, JuliánElosegui, ArturoGarcía, CelsoGinebreda, AntonioGómez Gómez, Carlos MarioMuñoz, IsabelRico, AndreuRovira, JoaquimBatalla, Ramon J.Water scarcityWater securityFreshwater ecosystemsSemiarid environmentsWater stress ratioSpainEconomic resilienceWater scarcity is an escalating environmental challenge, particularly in semi-arid regions like Spain, where balancing human and ecosystem needs is critical for sustainable development. Freshwater ecosystems are vital for biodiversity, water security, and economic systems, but often lose protection during droughts. Spain, largely under a Mediterranean climate, shows strong interdependence between ecological and socioeconomic systems, with agriculture, tourism, and energy sectors heavily reliant on scarce water resources. Spain?s economy has thrived on water-dependent activities yet increasing droughts and infrastructure limits are pushing ecosystems toward collapse, with severe biodiversity loss and irreversible damage. Furthermore, investments aimed at increasing water-use efficiency often backfire, leading to expanded irrigation without real water savings. Climate change, urbanization, and pollution exacerbate these tensions, posing risks to public health and economic stability. Transformative strategies are urgently needed: protecting and restoring ecosystems, promoting conservation agriculture, regulating water-intensive industries, and planning collective responses to illegal water use. Simply increasing supply or reacting to crises without systemic change of water demands will not ensure future water security. Spain?s experience highlights the urgent need for integrated management of natural and human systems to preserve freshwater resources, biodiversity, and economic resilience.This paper has been prepared as part of the activities conducted under the Research Network RED2022-134781-T funded by the Spanish Ministry of Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, and the Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Spain. Discussions were supported by the Project H2OSEG of the Fundación Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (FBBVA). The map in figure 1 was drawn by Xavier Garcia (ICRA), and Fanny Ville (UdL) assisted in preparing figure 2.Institute of Physics PublishingUniversidad de Cantabria20252025-01-01journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501NAhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_be7fb7dd8ff6fe43info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttps://hdl.handle.net/10902/39879Environmental Research Letters, 2025, 20(9), 091008reponame:UCrea Repositorio Abierto de la Universidad de Cantabriainstname:Universidad de Cantabria (UC)Inglésengopen accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2Attribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:dnet:ucreareposit::98ba785f5b57e611ec7de2a0a4d1bf9a2026-06-02T12:39:31Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Water scarcity challenges water security: a case for Spain's freshwater ecosystems
title Water scarcity challenges water security: a case for Spain's freshwater ecosystems
spellingShingle Water scarcity challenges water security: a case for Spain's freshwater ecosystems
Sabater Sergi
Water scarcity
Water security
Freshwater ecosystems
Semiarid environments
Water stress ratio
Spain
Economic resilience
title_short Water scarcity challenges water security: a case for Spain's freshwater ecosystems
title_full Water scarcity challenges water security: a case for Spain's freshwater ecosystems
title_fullStr Water scarcity challenges water security: a case for Spain's freshwater ecosystems
title_full_unstemmed Water scarcity challenges water security: a case for Spain's freshwater ecosystems
title_sort Water scarcity challenges water security: a case for Spain's freshwater ecosystems
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Sabater Sergi
Barquín Ortiz, José|||0000-0003-1897-2636
Blasco, Julián
Elosegui, Arturo
García, Celso
Ginebreda, Antonio
Gómez Gómez, Carlos Mario
Muñoz, Isabel
Rico, Andreu
Rovira, Joaquim
Batalla, Ramon J.
author Sabater Sergi
author_facet Sabater Sergi
Barquín Ortiz, José|||0000-0003-1897-2636
Blasco, Julián
Elosegui, Arturo
García, Celso
Ginebreda, Antonio
Gómez Gómez, Carlos Mario
Muñoz, Isabel
Rico, Andreu
Rovira, Joaquim
Batalla, Ramon J.
author_role author
author2 Barquín Ortiz, José|||0000-0003-1897-2636
Blasco, Julián
Elosegui, Arturo
García, Celso
Ginebreda, Antonio
Gómez Gómez, Carlos Mario
Muñoz, Isabel
Rico, Andreu
Rovira, Joaquim
Batalla, Ramon J.
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Universidad de Cantabria
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Water scarcity
Water security
Freshwater ecosystems
Semiarid environments
Water stress ratio
Spain
Economic resilience
topic Water scarcity
Water security
Freshwater ecosystems
Semiarid environments
Water stress ratio
Spain
Economic resilience
description Water scarcity is an escalating environmental challenge, particularly in semi-arid regions like Spain, where balancing human and ecosystem needs is critical for sustainable development. Freshwater ecosystems are vital for biodiversity, water security, and economic systems, but often lose protection during droughts. Spain, largely under a Mediterranean climate, shows strong interdependence between ecological and socioeconomic systems, with agriculture, tourism, and energy sectors heavily reliant on scarce water resources. Spain?s economy has thrived on water-dependent activities yet increasing droughts and infrastructure limits are pushing ecosystems toward collapse, with severe biodiversity loss and irreversible damage. Furthermore, investments aimed at increasing water-use efficiency often backfire, leading to expanded irrigation without real water savings. Climate change, urbanization, and pollution exacerbate these tensions, posing risks to public health and economic stability. Transformative strategies are urgently needed: protecting and restoring ecosystems, promoting conservation agriculture, regulating water-intensive industries, and planning collective responses to illegal water use. Simply increasing supply or reacting to crises without systemic change of water demands will not ensure future water security. Spain?s experience highlights the urgent need for integrated management of natural and human systems to preserve freshwater resources, biodiversity, and economic resilience.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
2025-01-01
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv journal article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
NA
http://purl.org/coar/version/c_be7fb7dd8ff6fe43
dc.type.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/10902/39879
url https://hdl.handle.net/10902/39879
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
eng
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.rights.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Institute of Physics Publishing
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Institute of Physics Publishing
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Environmental Research Letters, 2025, 20(9), 091008
reponame:UCrea Repositorio Abierto de la Universidad de Cantabria
instname:Universidad de Cantabria (UC)
instname_str Universidad de Cantabria (UC)
reponame_str UCrea Repositorio Abierto de la Universidad de Cantabria
collection UCrea Repositorio Abierto de la Universidad de Cantabria
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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score 15.811543

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