THE EBRO TRANSFER

by Valérie Lacroix
valerindi@yahoo.com

Briefing for a reduction of environmental impacts

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A. Analysis of the situation

1. The National Hydrological Plan, a geographical distribution of the water

2. Water management in Spain, between tradition and modernity

3. Actors and controversies of the Ebro transfer

3.1. The actors
3.2. Controversy

B. Proposition of modification of the Ebro transfer

1. General definitions of the action plan

2. The desalination of seawater at Almeria

3. Agro-environmental program for climate adaptation

Bibliographie

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A. Analysis of the situation

1. The National Hydrological Plan, a geographical distribution of the water

Approved by the Spanish Government in February 2001, the National Hydrological Plan (NHP) aims to construct more than 1000 Km of canals, 118 dams and 41 desalination factories over a period of 8 years.
The transfer of the Ebro River, consisting in the deviation of more than a billion m³/year of water to areas of cyclical or structural draught on the Mediterranean coast, is the main scheme of the NHP.

The intention of the NHP is to resolve the geographical and seasonal imbalance of supply and demand for water. Indeed, 70 % of the available water in Spain comes from the North, while the Mediterranean coast and Andalusia, where tourism and intensively irrigated agriculture are centred, gather 55 % of the population and dispose of only 23 % of the water.(Octavi Marti (décembre 2000), " L'Espagne victime de son hydroschizophrénie ", Courrier de l'UNESCO, http://www.unesco.org)

Situated in Aragon, north-eastern Spain, the Ebro estuary, described by the NHP as abundant, covers an area of 85550 km². The distribution of 1050 hm³/year of the river's rate of flow corresponds to estimation, for 2025, of demographic and economic growth of the receiving provinces. Table 1 demonstrates the impossibility to satisfy the future demand for water with the presently available resources.

Table 1:

Climatic, economic and social catalysts of the Ebro transfer

Receiving Provinces	Present situation of the water suplly	Planned transfers (hm3/y)	Catalysts of the water demand
Barcelona (Catalonia)	No deficit	190	Urban growth
Valencia (Valencia)	Cyclical draught Jucar estuary	315	Mass tourism Intensive irrigation
Murcia (Murcia)	Structural draught Segura esturary in deficit	450	Tourist potential Intensive irrigation
Almeria (Andalusia)	Structural draught	95	Tourist growth Greenhouse horticulture

Agriculture, which represented 77.6 % of Spanish water consumption in 1999 (http://www.ine.es), is the main beneficiary of the Ebro transfer: 56 % of the diverted water will be attributed to irrigated land, against 44 % destined for urban use (http://www.mma.es). In order to offset the urban demand for water, which increases considerably during the tourist season, the NHP anticipates the construction of 16 desalination plants along the Mediterranean coast, thus producing an extra 464 hm³ of water.

Feasible thanks to the technical progress in hydraulic infrastructure, the Ebro transfer remains a project firmly anchored in Spanish history.

2. Water management in Spain, between tradition and modernity

Since the end of the Second World War, water management in Spain consists mainly in managing supplies, setting up mammoth projects of hydrological engineering for the production of electricity, irrigation and distribution of water (O.C.D.E. (1997), Examens des performances environnementales, Les Editions de l'O.C.D.E., Paris, p. 66). Built in the 60s, the first big transfer intends to deviate 600 million m³/year of the Tage river (west/centre-west) to Segura (south-east).
With 1200 dams, Spain has the biggest surface covered by water from dams in the world, relative to its size .(Octavi Marti, o. c., http://www.unesco.org).

The promulgation of the New Water Law in 1985 and the adherence to the European Community in 1986 have marked a change, setting the accent on management and protection of the environment. This law assimilates the European directives on water, in internal Spanish law, prior to its implementation. (…) It constitutes the framework for planning estuaries and encourages the participation of consumers in water management (O.C.D.E., o. c., p. 60). .

Thus equipped with modern legislation towards a sustainable development, Spain is in the meantime confronted to a long agricultural tradition. Although it is the most arid of all E.U. countries, Spain has seen its irrigated surface grow at twice the rhythm of other Mediterranean countries.
Responsible for more than 80 % of water consumed on the eastern seaboard, irrigation exhausts the surface and subterranean waters. Linked to excessive pumping, the management problems of agricultural waters are plentiful.

According to a 1996 study by the O.C.D.E., the average yield of water consumption in Spanish irrigation systems is below 47 %. More than 70 % of irrigation systems in the country are older than twenty years and 29 % are over two hundred years. The small size of irrigated exploitations (average 2.2 hectare), the number of small plots, the bad state of numerous irrigation and distribution canals harm the exploitation of these systems. Only one third of systems use modern methods such as local irrigation by way of sprinkling or runoff.(O.C.D.E., o. c., p. 67-68).

Greatly subsidised, agriculture also benefits of preferential tariffs for water, varying depending on region. (Table 2) For irrigation, the price is generally calculated in function of irrigated surface rather than volume of water. The prices depend on the way the main costs are redeemed and/or repaid (…), but they mostly cover only part of the cost (O.C.D.E., o. c., p. 62-63). Thus, while massive investment in infrastructure produces the most expensive water at the source, of any European country, Spanish water is paradoxically one of the cheapest in the E.U.

Table 2 :

The price of water for urban and agricultural consumers in the receiving regions of the Ebro transfer

Receiving Regions	Urban Consummation (cents €/m³)	Irrigation
		(cents €/m³)	(cents €/ha)
Andalusia	60	4,17	27.337
Catalonia	94	0,45	3.248
Murcia	103	9,68	22.881
Valencia	65	2,19	17.802

Source: National Institute of Statistics

If the National Irrigation Plan, adopted in 1996, anticipates the modernisation of the current irrigation system, there still is a lot to do to improve the agricultural productivity, and consequently lower the water consumption. Synthesising the problems to solve, the White Book of Spanish Waters of 1998 insists on the necessity for Spain to distance itself progressively from the agricultural model.

Heavily marking the south of the country, the draughts at the beginning of the 90s have mapped out the importance of guaranteeing water distribution to the population. Responding to this apprehension, the NHP appeals for inter-regional solidarity to guarantee a homogenisation of the resources to the whole of the territory.

Written in the tradition of water management in Spain, furthermore associated with construction by the state after the Second World War, the NHP nevertheless adopts certain modern ways:

-- The Integral Plan of the Ebro Delta allots 500,000 million € to evaluate and reduce the environmental impact of the lowering of the rate of flow of the river following the transfer. Moreover, water will not be taken from June until September included, nor when the rate of flow is lower than 100 m³/s.

-- Of the 20,000 billion € earmarked to elaborate the NHP, 958,594 million is destined to modernise the distribution system, 427,996 million to water purification and 286,717 million to reforestation of the area.

-- To secure a return on infrastructure investments, the Ebro water will be sold for 32 cents €/m³, whomever the user. Inconvenience: because of the preferential tariff maintained until now, this new tariff represents eight times the median price paid by the farmers of the Mediterranean coast and two times less what urban consumers pay (Table 2).

3. Actors and controversies of the Ebro transfer

The biggest hydrological project ever contemplated in Western Europe, the Ebro transfer has given rise to a controversy without precedent in Spain. Ever since the presentation of the project, more than a million people have demonstrated against "the water highway".
Because of its scale, the Ebro transfer brings out numerous and diverse actors.

3.1. The actors

Institutions of the European Community

The Spanish government hopes to get E.U. subsidies to the tune of 30 to 40 % of the total investment (20,000 million €) needed to accomplish the NHP.

Several influential institutions of the E.U., such as the European Parliament, the Environmental Committee, or the European Environment Agency, have strongly criticised the plan. The NHP will thus go against four European directives:

_ The Water Directive and the Marco Directive. The last, for which final approbation is expected in 2003, defines an isolated management for each estuary and if need be, the consent of the E.U. Moreover, it is stipulated that in a conflict situation, the interests of the assigning estuary will have priority.

_ The Directive Habitat ensures the protection of sites of the Natura 2000 network. The NHP will affect the ecosystem of about 70 sites of this network.

_ The Directive concerning the conservation of wild birds; the Ebro estuary, affected by the transfer, is indeed an important transit place for a number of migratory species.

The E.U. institutions have advised that other alternatives, such as desalination, reuse of residual waters or introduction of real-price where not studied sufficiently.

However, the final decision concerning the granting of the finances will be taken based on a still running study by the Environmental Directorate-General.

Public national institutions

The Partido Popular (P.P.), benefiting of a large majority in the government, has thus had facilities to get the NHP approved. However, the opposition has taken the debate to the political arena.

The Water Counsel is the highest advisory organ for questions of national interest about water and, notably, for the NHP. It is composed of representatives of the central authorities and of the autonomous regions, estuary agencies and groups of professional and economic vocation interested in water questions. Thus uniting differing interests, the Water Counsel has debated the pros and cons of the NHP, during five months, before approving it in January 2002, with 69 votes against 15.

The Ministry of the Environment is the competent organ for all questions concerning water. It has given total support to the government, notably by positive presentation of the project to the population.

Within the Ministry of the Environment, the General Directorate for public works and water quality (…) elaborates the NHP and supervises the estuary agencies.

Public regional institutions

Spanish regional entities, the Autonomous Communities set their own objectives in matters of water management.
By redistributing resources, the NHP confronts the interests of the ceding region (Aragon) to those of the receiving regions (Catalonia, Valencia, Murcia and Andalusia). Fearing the disappearance of "their" water, the majority of Aragonian actors condemn the NHP. For the regions suffering draughts, the NHP represents a democratisation of the resources in the territory. Murcia, beneficiary of more than 40 % of the transferred water, is the main instigator of the project. While Catalonia and Valencia also support the transfer, Andalusia makes exception. Criticising the NHP, it teams up with Aragon to propose viable alternatives.

In charge of conducting the NHP, the Estuary Agencies play a capital role in water management at regional level. From the hydrological plans of the estuary they have elaborated, they prepare investment programmes for the infrastructure of distribution and water treatment. (…) The Estuary Agencies also grant concessions for the different uses of the water: hydroelectric production, supply to cities and agriculture.

Public local institutions

Representing the most water demanding economic sector, the Irrigation Associations bring together farmers with the same concession. They can play an essential role at local level, since every change in water consumption by the farmers has to be negotiated with these associations.

Lobbies

With 40 % of the investment coming from the private sector, the NHP presents itself as a promising instrument for economic development, and consequently benefits of the support of diverse pressure groups.

Following the massive implantation of dams in Spain, the hydroelectric lobby uses its significant influence in water management. The construction of 118 new water reservoirs, planned by the NHP, represents a huge economic revival for this sector.
Rallying behind this powerful group, the Employers Federation for Public Works also exerts great pressure in favour of the NHP.
The added employment possibilities resulting from putting in place the infrastructure is a powerful argument brought forth by these two groups. Subsequently, the maintenance and management of the infrastructure will prolong the beneficiary effect of the NHP on the unemployment rate, today one of the highest in the E.U. (15.2 % against 8.8 % for the E.U.).

Another important pressure group, the lobby of the concrete producers will benefit from the NHP on two levels. Indeed, if the construction of dams is profitable in a direct way to this group, the building of tourist complexes that will result from the greater water availability is sure bait. The Mediterranean coast is definitely over-developed, but the southern stretch, from Murcia to Almeria, is relatively undeveloped. The approval of the NHP has allegedly started real estate speculations in this region.

The big agricultural exploitations and the Irrigation Syndicates are two other pressure groups that would benefit from a greater water supply.

The N.G.O.s

Greenpeace, WWF and European Rivers Network are the three International N.G.O.s fighting the NHP. According to Greenpeace, the Ebro transfer satisfies only the interests of the private sector. Their denunciation, according to which the Ebro water will irrigate 66 golf courses at Murcia and Valencia, and the hotels that serve them, has a mobilising purpose.

More extreme, Ecologistas en Accion is an organisation uniting almost 300 ecological groups in Spain.

The organisations COAGRET and the Platform for the Defence of the Ebro defends the people affected by the transfer. They denounce the displacement of villages during construction of the dams, and the negative consequences of the diminution of the rate of flow of the Ebro on the agricultural and fish breeding activities in the estuary.

Uniting experts of more than 70 universities, the Foundation for a New Water Culture has a more scientific approach to the transfer project.

These N.G.O.s express public awareness campaigns towards the population, organise demonstrations against the Ebro transfer, and put pressure on the divers actors. Thus, under impulse of the Platform for the Defence of the Ebro, the COAGRET and the European Rivers Network, the Blue March of September 2001 brought together 10,000 Spaniards before the E.U. to protest against the financing of the NHP.

The Advisory Mission of the RAMSAR Convention on Estuaries

Spain is a member of this co-operation organ for the conservation of estuaries. Following an environmental impact study, the advisory Mission concluded that the NHP could have a consequent impact on the Ebro estuary.

3.2. Controversy

E.U., Autonomous Communities, N.G.O.s, scientists and experts are all actors that criticised the Ebro transfer. This summary of the principal accusations and alternatives will enable us to better establish an action plan satisfactory to most of the actors.

The environmental impact of the Ebro transfer

Of the 70 sites of the Natura 2000 network affected by the transfer, the Ebro estuary gets the most attention from the opponents. Second patrimony in European bio-diversity, the Ebro estuary is already menaced by intensive rice growing that covers 65 % of the estuary. According to the Advisory Mission RAMSAR, the transfer could have a major impact on the fauna and flora of the estuary for three reasons :

_ the decreasing of the minimal ecological rate of flow
_ the salt water intrusion resulting from the decrease of rate of flow
_ the reduction of sediments

According to a biologist present at the International Conference on the NHP , the transfer would also have repercussions on the ecosystems of the receiving rivers. Just to mention one example, the piscicultural fauna would know a decline following the modification of its habitat, the barrier effect of the dams and the introduction of exotic species.

The climatic change

The actors opposed to the transfer all agree on one point: the consequences of the global warming on the Ebro estuary have not been taken in account by the NHP.
According to the group of climate physics of the university of Madrid, the rainfall in the Ebro estuary has a downward tendency with risks of establishing itself. In the month of February 2002, the rate of flow of the Ebro was 99 m³/s, compared to the norm of 700 m³/s for this period of the year. If this draught establishes itself, the amount of water to be removed by the NHP will not be physically possible.

The anti-model of the Tage-Segura transfer

The case of the Tage-Segura is usually used by the opponents of the Ebro transfer to warn against the inflationary spiral of the demand for water that can result from such transfers.
Started in the 60s, the project was planned to deviate 600 million m³/year of the excess from the Tage estuary to the Segura estuary. But in 1999, Castilla (irrigated by the Tage) accepted to release only 40 million m³/year, less than 10 % of the volume initially planned. What had happened in the mean time? On the one end, in the riparian regions of Tage, corn culture, great water consumer, had proliferated. (…) On the other end, in the Murcia region (irrigated by the Segura), which benefits by the transfer, the irrigated zones are considerably reduced. The biologist José Luis Benito thus phrases that "as crazy as it may sound, the Tage transfer has made structural and permanent a draught that was till then only cyclical".

The unbalances intrinsic to the transfer

According to the Aragonians, the Ebro transfer puts the accent on the economic imbalances between the interior regions and those of the Mediterranean basin, benefiting from the tourism industry.
Thus, a diminutive offer of water could be harmful to the Aragonese economy, which depends largely on irrigated agriculture along the Ebro estuary.
There follows an inter-regional interest conflict which risks to have long lasting social consequences. The power struggle seems to favour Catalonia, since the Integral Plan of the Ebro Delta determines the hydrological rate of flow that has to be respected to maintain the ecosystem of the estuary (which is situated in this region).

Another geographical imbalance that the NHP will provoke is the exodus from the interior zones to the Mediterranean coast, already overpopulated.

The proposed alternatives to the transfer

If the NHP includes, as we have seen, different ways to manage the water, the entirety of the Ebro transfer could, according to the critics be replaced by a series of alternatives.

Here is a general survey of the proposed solutions aiming to augment the offer of water:
- desalination of sea water
- purification and reuse of residual water
- modernisation of the distribution and irrigation systems
- use of rain water collectors

The opponents of the Ebro transfer also propose solutions to cut the water demand:
- application of the user-payer principle and installation of meters in the irrigation canals
- replacement of certain cultures by others, less water consuming
- dismantling of illegally irrigated cultures
- public awareness campaigns on the agricultural and urban level

The study of the conflict concerning the NHP shows us two major inconveniences to the follow up of the project as it is defined today:

- An important part of the Spanish electorate is reticent to the Ebro transfer.
- The E.U. hesitates to provide the funds to uphold a project that does not go in the direction of sustainable development.

It would therefore be prudent to consider a reduction of the environmental impacts of the Ebro transfer project.

B. Proposition of modification of the Ebro transfer

1. General definitions of the action plan

If the Ebro transfer leads to undeniable negative effects, the opponents of the project often forget to take in account the following socio-economic restraints:

- The southern part of the Mediterranean coast sees regular draughts, with repercussions on the national economy because of a lower agricultural productivity.

- The vast experience of dam management in Spain prevails over the risks that not known alternative techniques represent.

- The transfer implicates an economic development, and the creation of many work places. Because of this, it is upheld by influential lobbies.

Abandoning the project is thus unthinkable at this stage. But, it is possible to reduce the environmental impact of the Ebro transfer and reconcile the interests of the economic actors. To do this, the modification of two fundamental parameters must be put in place at different levels of hydrological work :

- the volume of water removed (calculated in hm³)
- the length of the network (calculated in km)

A disproportion between the two variables on the level of water service to Almeria is evident. Indeed, for a supply of only 9 % of the total of the water taken (95/1050), the distribution network is lengthened by more than 30 % (300/1020).
Omitting Almeria from the project would permit to reduce the environmental impact of the transfer, from the construction of canals and dams, over more than 300 km. Moreover, the criticising attitude of Andalusia to the transfer lets us presume there would not be a major political contest if a viable alternative where to be proposed. The option of desalination of seawater to obtain fresh water will be studied in the second part of this chapter.

However, lowering the environmental impact on the Ebro estuary supposes a greater reduction of water volume taken.
To do this, we propose to switch to an agro-environmental adaptation program of the agricultural production to the Mediterranean climate, in the midst of the local entities disseminated on the remaining three receiving regions (Catalonia, Murcia and Valencia). Detailed in the third part of this chapter, this plan of action should result in a reduction of water consumption of 50 hm³/year per region, once the transfer infrastructure is in place.

Physical assessment of these two action plans :

- reduction of 23 % of volume of water taken (1050-95+(50x3) = 805 hm³)
- reduction of 31 % of the length of the distribution network (1020-317 = 703 km)

At this stage, the modification of the Ebro transfer project already offers different advantages:

- The environmental impact on the Ebro estuary is lowered by the reduction of water taken.

- Moreover, the number of Natura 2000 sites affected by the transfer is reduced by more than 300 km.

- The E.U. would appreciate the effort undertaken and would undoubtedly release its funds more easily.

- Presented as a compromise with the population initially opposed to the project, these action plans have the capacity to resolve a conflict that has risen to the national level. Distributing the reduction of the water distribution over the whole territory maintains a non-conflictual equilibrium.

- The main economic actors of the initial project are not excluded.

- The investment saved on infrastructure could be reinvested in the realisation of the proposed alternatives. A study of the cost of these projects must be made in this sense.

- The application of these two action plans results in the creation of new employment.

- The degree of dependence to a water source, most uncertain (lowering of the rate of flow of the river due to draught or climate change) is reduced.

- This project means a first big step for Spain, towards a sustainable water management. Creating small models will permit to win experience of the alternatives, so that they can be reproduced on the rest of the territory.

- These action plans are in concordance with the White Book of Water in Spain, according to which "the proposed solutions from the new hydrological policy will not be used for a single instrument only, taking in account the diversity of the problems."

2. The desalination of seawater at Almeria

During the International Conference on the NHP, the majority of experts and scientists present have favoured the desalination of sea water above other alternatives to the transfer.

Indeed, this technique has many advantages for Spain. With an annual production of 60 m³, Spain distinguishes itself as the first country in Europe and fifth in the world to use this resource. Thanks to research done to better the profitability of the desalination plants, Spanish companies are now exporting their technology. Constructed since the 60s to respond to the growing demand for water on the Canary Islands, desalination plants are now to be found all over the south of the country.

At Almeria, the desalination plant of Carboneras, under construction, is proof of this advance: with a capacity of 120,000 m³/day, this factory will be the most productive in Europe. The system of reversed osmosis by membrane, greatly favoured in Spain, will be put to work there because it has many advantages towards distillation.

- reduced energy use
- price reduced to 40 cent €/m³ of desalinated water
- facilities to increase output
- closed system permitting a reduced acoustic impact

The environmental impact of the desalination must however be taken into account. According to the CEDEX (Centre for Experimentation and Study of Public Works), the desalination of 500 hm³ of water defined by the NHP will implicate emission of 0.8 to 2.5 million tons of CO². Desalination plants consume enormous amounts of energy, because the water is propelled in the system under high pressure.
The discharge of brine concentrated with salts, phosphates, chlorines and greasy acids also produce a negative impact on the marine ecosystem.

The renewable energies and the research in new desalination techniques permit however to propose three systems wherein the environmental impact seems to be considerably reduced. These alternatives should be studied for environmental impact as well as feasibility, so as to define the solution best adapted to the province of Almeria.

Renewable energies for desalination

According to an industrial engineer of the Institute for Technology of the Canary Islands, wind energy can reduce the price of desalinated water by 30 % or more, if the sale of excess energy is taken into account.
Solar energy is also an interesting potential, especially at Almeria where yearly sunshine is an average 8.7 h/day. During the months of April to September, period when intense agricultural activity and tourism put a heavy demand on water resources, sunshine even reaches 10.4 h/day.
The National and European subsidies of which the installations of renewable energies benefit permits a faster return on their investments.
To complement this alternative, it would be wise to consider the elaboration of legislation concerning the discharge of the brine.

Desalination by natural pressure

Tragsa, a public company belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture, exports this procedure capable of making fresh water at a cost of only 22 cent €/m³. The sea water is descended to a depth of 500 m, so that the natural atmospheric pressure facilitates the process of reversed osmosis.
Low energy consuming, this system has the advantage of being hidden for 90 % underground. Moreover, construction of the installation takes only two years, and its average life expectancy is over 40 years. Rejected at ambient temperature, the brine has a lesser environmental impact than traditional systems.

Desalination under vacuum

Invented by 'Almeria de Investigación y Proyectos', this sea water evaporation system under vacuum results in a boiling point of only 17°C, which reduces considerably the use of energy as well as the cost (25 cent €/m³). To the distilled water resulting from this process, mineral salts (urban use) or fertilisers (agricultural use) are added.
Although this system functions with any type of energy, the company proposes to use agricultural residues, abundant in this region. The combustion gases are filtered and the left over salt, dried, may be sold. Conclusion: the environmental impact is practically zero!

If private investors have already been defined within the NHP, it is however advisable to invite the actors of the tourism sector to participate in the action plan. Advantages could thus be accorded to builders planning the integration of a desalination system in their tourist complex. The Canary Islands provide on this subject several enriching experiences.

3. Agro-environmental program for climate adaptation

Representing 80 % of total water consumption, agricultural uses arouse, as we have seen in the first chapter, complex and numerous managing problems. Resulting from an obsolete infrastructure, the losses on the level of the distribution network reach almost a quarter of water consumption. The widespread use of the irrigation technique by submersion is also an important cause of water loss on the agricultural level.
If the National Plan for Irrigation and the NHP aim at improving these networks, not any action plan undertakes action on the level of agricultural production.

According to the O.C.D.E., "enormous surfaces are given to cultures needing abundant water supplies like cotton, luzern, corn, rice and sugar cane." As an example, in a Mediterranean climate, you need approximately one ton of water to produce one kilo of corn.
Opting for winter cultures in cohabitation with autumn cultures adapted to the dry climate, like olives or sunflowers, would lead to a considerable reduction of water consumption. To help us define an action plan, we dispose of a sustainable agricultural development model, the Program of Compensation of Income for the Irrigators of La Mancha .

Undertaken during the great draughts of the beginning of the 90s, this project aims at adapting the cultures of Daimel to the dry Mediterranean climate, which extends to the central plateau of La Mancha. Contrary to the CAP of the E.U., that grants funds for the entire production, the Program for Compensation of Income gives selective aid to farmers, depending on the type of culture. Table 3 shows that the CAP has increased agricultural water consumption, while the Program of Compensation of Income has halved consumption in seven years.

Table 3 :
Evolution of agricultural water consumption at Daimel

Applied policy	Year	Water consumption (hm3)
	1985	478
	1986	525
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)	1987	553
	1988	568
	1989	561
	1990	522
Program of Compensation	1991	427
	1992	410
of Income	1993	310
	1994	236
for the Irrigators of La Mancha	1995	217
	1996	215
	1997	203

Source: Arrojo Pedro et Al. (janvier 2002), Analysis of the Strategic Environmental Assesment document of the NHP
presented to the European Commission by the Spanish government,
Dept. of Economic Analysis, Zaragoza University, p. 104.

Based on this model, the agro-environmental program should be adapted to the climatic and geographical conditions particular to each region. A global method could nevertheless be followed :

- recruitment of a local group
- close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, and locally with the Irrigation Associations
- definition of cultures most adapted to the environment
- elaboration of a market study aiming at favouring, within this selection, the most profitable products.
- actions of information, public awareness campaigns and recruitment of voluntary farmers
- national and European subsidies for a sharing of the risk
- installation of meters in the concerned irrigation canals
- follow up: assistance and control
- feedback to the Ministry of the Environment

An incentive to put to work, parallel to this project, would be the creation of a Water Bank . California, that faces the same climatic and agricultural conditions as Spain, has resorted to this system to overcome the draughts of the beginning of the 90s. By way of 351 contracts, the Water Bank has bought the water from the farmers to sell it to urban consumers at an elevated price, which provoked a drop in demand.
This system would let Spanish farmers cash in on their empty periods from winter cultures, at a moment that the tourism sector of the Mediterranean coast most needs the water.

Three fundamental advantages of the agro-environmental program :

- Following regular water deficits, Spanish farmers have the habit to adapt their cultures at short notice.

- This action plan is likely to attract a growing number of farmers from the start of the Ebro transfer. The rise of the water price to 32 cent €/m³ will be a catalyst for the lowering of water consumption.

- The extendable character of this action plan permits to act on the long term.

While the agro-environmental program tends to reduce the offer of water, the desalination systems aim to satisfy the demand in a region with a growing tourism development.
This choice bases itself on the Spanish PIB, which shows a lowering on the part of the agricultural sector, parallel to an increase in the tourism sector. In the strategic research for equilibrium between national receipts and consumption of resources, these two action plans are in concordance with the economic development of the Spain of tomorrow.

Bibliography

Articles and books

Arrojo Pedro (juin 2001), " Gestion de l'eau comparée de l'Espagne et de la Californie ", Bulletin de liaison de la Plate-forme de Défense de l'Ebre.

Arrojo Pedro et Al. (janvier 2002), Analysis of the Strategic Environmental Assesment document of the NHP presented to the European Commission by the Spanish government, Dept. of Economic Analysis, Zaragoza University.

Estevan Antonio, Les compensations en eau pour l'agriculture continentale prévues par le PHN, http://www.rivernet.org.

Maia Rodrigo (2001), Sharing the waters of the iberian peninsula, Faculty of Engineering of Porto University, Portugal.

Ministerio de Medio Ambiente (1998), El Libro Blanco del Agua en España, http://www.mma.es.

O.C.D.E. (1997), Examens des performances environnementales, Les Editions de l'O.C.D.E., Paris.

Octavi Marti (décembre 2000), " L'Espagne victime de son hydroschizophrénie ", Courrier de l'UNESCO, http://www.unesco.org.

RAMSAR (septembre 2001), Ramsar Advisory Mission to the Ebro Delta, Catalonia (Spain), http://www.ramsar.org.

S.F. (octobre 2000), " Conflits sur le partage de l'eau en Espagne ", Transrural Initiatives, http://www.globenet.org.

Wong Arlene K. et Al. (1999), Sustainable Use of Water, California Success Stories, Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security, Oakland.

Web sites

http://circe.cps.unizar.es/spanish/waterweb/inicio.html (International Conference about the NHP)
http://ens-news.com
http://hispagua.cedex.es
http://www.ebre.net (Platform for the Defence of the Ebro)
http://www.el-mundo.es
http://www.elpais.es
http://www.energias-renovables.com
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Jungle/1839/index.htm (COAGRET)
http://www.globenet.org.
http://www.greenpeace.es
http://ine.es (National Institute of Statistics)
http://www.mma.es (Ministry of the Environment)
http://www.pangea.org/org/foroagua
http://www.panoramaenergetico.com
http://www.portal-agua.com
http://www.pridesa.com
http://www.rivernet.org (European Rivers Network)
http://www.us.es/ciberico/fundacionnca.html (Foundation for a New Water Culture)
http://www.unesco.org