David Pavón

Qualifying irrigation system sustainability by means of stakeholder perceptions and concerns: lessons from the Segarra‐Garrigues Canal, Spain

When planning interventions, water and land resource managers increasingly need to take the opinions of stakeholders into account. In the present study, stakeholders’ concerns in a multifunctional water system are assessed, with a focus on the debate about the sustainability of irrigation projects in stressed and competing water contexts. The selected case study pertains to the Segarra-Garrigues irrigation canal (Spain), the promotion of which has generated social debate and mobilization, as well as pronouncements from European authorities for ensuring its environmental sustainability. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed by means of a new codification system for identifying the affinities and conflicts arising from existing water demands. Results show that sustainability concepts are more present in civil society than in public administration and private services or the rural community. However, social sustainability and environmental sustainability are a priority for most stakeholders, while the economic perspective of sustainable development has been conditioned by the first two. These results can be used by relevant authorities as a first step in customizing their interventions, as they provide a clear initial idea of what stakeholder priorities are in the framework of sustainable development.

How to improve water governance in multifunctional irrigation systems? Balancing stakeholder engagement in hydrosocial territories

Abstract The aim of this article is to conduct an evidence-based analysis of stakeholder engagement in decision-making processes affecting multifunctional irrigation systems. The selection of case studies has allowed us to examine different tools that promote stakeholder engagement and good governance. The case studies show how stakeholder engagement in irrigation systems shapes hydrosocial territories: (1) by reducing tension between stakeholders, (2) by redirecting regional planning and strategy, (3) by highlighting water crises, (4) by decentralizing water responsibilities, and (5) by integrating values and beliefs from different stakeholders.

Gestionar desde la territorialidad: ¿cómo integrar la multifuncionalidad y la participación social en la legitimación del regadío?

Resumen. La estrategia por gestionar el territorio, los recursos naturales y las demandas sociales ha tenido en el desarrollo del regadio un aliado fiel a lo largo de los anos. En paises como Espana, Francia e Italia la apuesta por el regadio da fe del vinculo indisociable entre toda actividad economico-productiva del agua y la vertebracion del territorio. Regiones como Cataluna, Midi-Pyrenees y Lombardia simbolizan, a su vez, el amplio bagaje cultural del regadio. En esta comunicacion se presentan tres casos de estudio (canal Segarra-Garrigues, canal de la Neste y canal de la Muzza) que afrontan la multifuncionalidad del regadio desde politicas, actuaciones y percepciones sociales distintas. A su vez, se presentan las bases dela gestion territorial del regadio como mecanismo de adaptacion a la complejidad que supone el trinomioformado por los recursos naturales disponibles, las demandas sociales cambiantes y la vertebracion del territorio. La aplicacion de dichas bases tiene por finalidad identificar las variables que justifican el (des)acuerdo entre la diversidad de discursos asociados a la promocion del regadio asi como determinar el perfil del actor dominante, legitimar el mismo o dilucidar las mejores estrategias y/o acciones para la gestion integrada del agua entre demandas en competencia. Palabras clave: territorio, multifuncionalidad, regadio, legitimacion. Abstract : The strategy to manage the territory, natural resources, and social demands has been supported by the development of irrigation along the years. In countries like Spain, France or Italy, the commitment on irrigation attests the inseparable link between all economic and productive water use and the structuring of the territory. Regions such as Catalonia, Midi-Pyrenees and Lombardy symbolize, in turn, the broad cultural background of irrigation. In this paper we present three case studies (Segarra-Garrigues irrigation canal, Neste irrigation canal, and Muzza irrigation canal) which face multifunctionality differing from irrigation policies, actions, and social perceptions. In turn, the bases of the territorial management of irrigation will be presented as a mechanism to adapt to the complexity to affront the trinomial relationship between availability of natural resources, changing social demands, and the structuring of the territory. The application of those bases is intended to identify variables to justify the (dis)agreement between the diversity of discourses associated with irrigation’ promotion, as well as to determine the dominant stakeholder’ profile, its degree of legitimacy, or ascertain the best strategies and/or actions for the integrated management of water resources between competing water demands. Keywords: territory, multifunctionality, irrigation, legitimacy. http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/ISL2014.2014.186

TOURIST DEVELOPMENT AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT IN THE SPANISH MEDITERRANEAN COAST: THE COSTA BRAVA CASE STUDY

The Costa Brava (Girona, Spain) is one of the pioneering regions along the Spanish Mediterranean coast in terms of wastewater treatment. Since the 1950s, the water quality in swimming areas has been affected by the ongoing tourist development. However, at the same time, this issue has motivated the implementation of wastewater treatment systems that, otherwise, would have been delayed. With that mission, the Costa Brava Consortium (CCB) was created in 1971. The CCB is a public institution formed by all the municipalities along the coast of Girona, the head of Girona province and the watershed authority (formerly called the Eastern Pyrenees Hydrographical Confederation). Taking a conceptual approach derived from the Political Ecology of Tourism, the aim of this study is to explore the close relationship among the tourism boom, the economic and technologic investments related to wastewater management, and the improvement of environmental quality of the Costa Brava swimming areas. We believe that the tourist sector has forced public administrations to minimize the environmental impact derived from tourist activities. In fact, wastewater treatment has contributed to achieve improved and optimal swimming conditions in beaches, the most valuable resource for sun and sand tourist sector. The increasingly strict environmental regulations issued at European level have an important role in the discursive legitimation of high public expenses. Nevertheless, water-related management costs have been progressively financed by tax-payers, under pretexts of economic crisis or limited public budget. In addition, private capital is considered as the only way to maintain present infrastructures and to invest in new ones.

Multifuncionalidad y retos de futuro en el paisaje cultural del regadío del Bajo Ter

Resumen. El paisaje actual del Bajo Ter es el resultado de una red de canales molineros y de irrigacion que se remontan a la Edad Media. El agua que circula por estos canales adquiere un nuevo valor de uso, que es a la vez economico, ecologico y social. Sin embargo, la reciente ejecucion, a partir de 2008, del proyecto de canalizacion y soterramiento del regadio tradicional, con el objetivo de mejorar la eficiencia en el uso del agua, ha desencadenado un interesante debate social respecto a que queremos y que podemos conservar de estos paisajes tradicionales del regadio y, en el caso de que se llegue a un acuerdo, como vamos a gestionarlo y quien va a hacerlo. La propuesta de comunicacion pretende analizar las dinamicas apuntadas y los retos de presente y de futuro a los que debe hacer frente el regadio en la zona. A este respecto se prestara especial atencion al papel multifuncional que pueden desempenar los canales tradicionales, sea desde el punto de vista productivo, ambiental, patrimonial, turistico, de calidad de vida, etc. Tambien se fijara la atencion en como ha evolucionado la gestion de los canales a traves del tiempo. De forma complementaria se apuntaran algunas influencias que pueden ejercer al respecto nuevas herramientas de politicas sectoriales y de la legislacion, sea en materia de aguas o de paisaje. Palabras clave: paisaje cultural, regadio, Bajo Ter, multifuncionalidad, modernizacion. Abstract. The current landscape of the Baix Ter is the result of a network of miller and irrigation canals dating back to the Middle Ages. The water flowing through these channels acquires a new value in use which is economic, ecological and social at the same time. However, the recent carrying out of the piping and underground works of traditional irrigation from 2008, with the aim of improving efficiency in water use, has triggered an interesting social debate about what we want and what we can conserve of these traditional irrigation landscapes and, in the event that an agreement is reached, how we manage it and who will do it. The proposed paper tries to analyze the dynamics and challenges of present and of future which it must face the irrigation in the area. In this regard we will pay a particular attention to the multifunctional role that traditional canals can carry out, either from the point of view of production, environment, heritage, tourism, quality of life, etc. The attention will be fixed in how it has evolved the management of the canals across the time too. Complementary will be described some influences that can exercise in the matter on that subject new tools of sectorial policies and legislation as water or landscape. Keywords: cultural landscape, irrigation, Baix Ter, multifunctionality, modernization. http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/ISL2014.2014.187