Dealing with Droughts, Water Scarcity and Climate Change in Arid and Water-stressed Basins: Critical Review of the Guadalquivir River Basin Drought Management Plan (Spain)

Worldwide, we are increasingly suffering the consequences of extreme climate-related events. In Europe, climate change is projected to increase the frequency, the intensity and the duration of severe droughts, especially in Mediterranean countries (arid and water-stressed basins). This will likely reduce the availability of water resources, thus posing a substantial risk in maintaining the integrity of water-dependent systems (such as human health, river ecology and socio-economic activities). Traditionally, droughts were managed as a crisis situation by applying emergency procedures and urgent measures. However, that approach failed in achieving the most sustainable and cost-efficient solutions in the long-run. Consequently, a paradigm shift towards a drought risk-reduction management approach is reflected on the academic work, political agenda and policy-making process. In this context, Drought Management Plans (DMPs) represent key strategic tools to support sustainable water management. DMPs should define relevant drought and water scarcity indicators and their thresholds, provide reliable early warning systems, and establish priorities among water users together with a clear action roadmap to be followed during each drought phase. In order to be effective tools and provide consistent support to water decision-makers, DMPs should be based on technical evidence, the latest engineering and science knowledge combined with learning experiences from historical droughts. This paper provides a critical review of the Guadalquivir River Basin (GRB) DMP and how effective this may be when coping with droughts and water scarcity. The Guadalquivir River is the main river in southern Spain that provides water to a total population of over four million people and over eight hundred thousand hectares for irrigation purposes. The Guadalquivir River Basin (GRB) Authority is responsible for preparing the DMPs in accordance with the Spanish Law 10/2001 Hydrological National Plan and European Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/CE –Art. 4.6). The draft GRB DMP was published in December 2017. As part of the public consultation process, a wide range of technical, economic and social concerns were raised by water companies, irrigation associations, ecologist groups and public institutions. A Statement of Response and a revised draft DMP were published in May 2018. Whereas the final DMP is expected to be approved early in 2019, the revised DMP remains practically the same as the first version. Important aspects were left unresolved such as the absence of using streamflow forecast models, the lack of a full assessment of the potential economic, environmental and social impacts or supporting technical evidence on climate change.