Water resources in Spain: addressing challenges to water security

Abstract

Successfully addressing and resolving water challenges, in a global context where the vectors of population growth, urbanisation, climate change and globalisation are at work, is a key element to foster sustainable development and achieve an improvement in the quality of life of societies and people. It is essential that water is on the political agenda and that many actors play their role properly, with the appropriate governance. The Sustainable Development Goals are not always synergistic among them, and SDG 6 on water interacts with a number of other SDGs. Understanding this is essential to guide new perspectives that adequately combine actions to ensure water security and properly address the ecological services that water provides, supplying the necessary resource for the economic activities that lead to this improvement in the quality of human life. In this regard, the water, food and energy nexus need to be given special consideration. As in other fields, it is necessary to “think global, act local”. And in water, where the processes of resource provision require time to develop substantial actions and high investments, planning processes are the best way to promote consensus and agree on the actions to be carried out. In addition, not just planning, but then implementing these plans diligently and effectively. In Spain, we have been living off our income for years and it is time to move decisively into action, which requires an increase in human and material resources, progress in technology, innovation, and increase in funding.