The Tagus River Basin Spain and Portugal

Transcription

1 STRIVER POLICY BRIEF Strategy and methodology for improved IWRM - An integrated interdisciplinary assessment in four twinning river basins PB No. 19 The Tagus River Basin Spain and Portugal With the two capital cities Madrid and Lisbon located along its banks, the Tagus River is a major river in Spain and Portugal. With increasing pressures due to climate change, and problems of scarcity and flows there is a need to develop good monitoring and collaboration mechanisms between the two countries. The STRIVER Policy Brief series translate the results from the EC FP6-funded STRIVER project into practical and useful information for policy makers and water managers

2 The Tagus River Spain and Portugal António Betâmio de Almeida, Maria Manuela Portela, Marta Machado (IST-CIHEDRO, Portugal), Santiago Beguería, Sergio M. Vicente-Serrano, J. Ignacio López-Moreno, Noemí Lana-Renault, José María García-Ruiz (Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones, CSIC, Spain), Dale Campbell and Alistair Rieu-Clarke (UNESCO Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science) Abstract Because the Tagus is subject to increasing pressures because of demands from urban areas and agriculture, as well as climate change, the Tagus Segura water transfer and natural impacts like the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), there is a need to further develop monitoring and coordination mechanisms to govern the basin s resources. Each country has a basin plan in place, and a basin authority responsible for Tagus water resources (in Portugal, the Tejo Hydrographic Region Administration, and in Spain, the Tajo Basin Authority). Both countries have established basin plans for their respective sections of the catchment, prepared in a collaborative and consensual way through the Tejo Basin Council (Portugal) and the Tajo Council of Users (Spain). These bodies work within the general national strategies prepared by their respective National Water Councils. Acknowledgments The following stakeholders attended the STRIVER workshops and also gave valuable inputs to this brief: Professor Alberto Garrido, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid Nuria Hernandez-Mora, New Water Culture Foundation Belén Ramos, Medio Ambiente en la Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios João Pedro Avillez, INAG Helder Careto, Geota Alexandra Brito, Conferación de Agricultores de Portugal (CAP) Dr. Francisco Nunes Godinho, Portuguese Water Council adjunct Miguel Gamboa, IST Ms. Maria João Correia, LPN (Nature Protection League) Fact box The Tagus River rises in east-central Spain, in the Sierra de Albarracin at an altitude of meters, and flows through Portugal where it empties in the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon. It is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. The river s main tributaries are the: Jarama, Alberche, Tietar, Alagon, Guadelia, Almonte and Salor Rivers in Spain and the Erges, Ponsul, Zezere, and Sorraia Rivers in Portugal. Two European capitals with a total of 11 million people depend on the river for their water supply. It is navigable for about 160 km from its mouth, while dams harness its waters for irrigation and hydroelectric power, creating large artificial lakes. The lower and upper courses pass through deep gorges and are broken by waterfalls. There have been efforts to reforest the land surrounding the river. The Tagus estuary, which is one of the three most important ones in Europe, is of great international interest and is the most important wetland in Portugal. A part of the area is a nature reserve under national law and is also designated as a EU Special Protection Area for wild birds. STRIVER POLICY BRIEF / ISSUE NO. 19 2

3 Major STRIVER Tagus issues and their policy/management recommendations The following issues and policy/management recommendations are a result of research activities undertaken under the STRIVER project, and discussions with stakeholders during three workshops and a number of field trips ( ). The list of issues does not confess to be either all encompassing or fully reflective of all stakeholder interests. However, every effort has been made to bring in as broader range of perspectives as possible. Participants during discussions at the Second Tagus Stakeholder Workshop in Lisbon, February 28, Water availability and allocation issues In the Tagus there are competing water uses among different sectors (farming, industry, urban water supply) and amongst regions (water transfer); sometimes demand exceeds availability. Increased urbanization, land use and climate change heighten the potential for conflict between water uses, particularly during water shortage periods. In Spain water saving upstream does not necessarily affect water availability downstream due to the Júcar and Segura basin transfers. In Spain, lack of water availability in Madrid in the future is a real possibility, as is future pressure on the resources in the headwaters of the Tagus In Spain, the Tagus-Segura water transfer accounts for 10% of the total water use in the Spanish part of the Tagus River Basin, averaging 500 hm 3 /year. The Tagus- Segura transfer therefore is a challenge in achieving sustainable water allocation within the basin. Non-controlled water abstractions are causing over-exploitation in some areas. Water allocation is based mainly on longterm average values and assumes normal management conditions. Adaptation of the existing water systems to the concrete circumstances of each year is done reactively rather than adopting an anticipatory approach. Those systems may therefore fail to accommodate drought periods effectively. However, at the bilateral level (State-State) there has been a recent change in seasonal or weakly allocation of water, from fixed annual volume to seasonal flows. The existing basin plans do not fully account for the effects of climate and land cover changes on water availability. The maintenance and improvement of hydrological monitoring systems are fundamental conditions to ensure the effectiveness of IWRM. All water consumptions must be measured and not just estimated. The consumer pays principle must be fairly implemented, and should take into consideration the social, environmental and economic consequences. Water pricing should be designed to promote efficient use of water resources. Distortion due to intrasectoral competition between the two countries should be prevented. There needs to be more incentives for water saving and reuse. New regulations should include hydric efficiency, similar to what has been done with energy efficiency. STRIVER POLICY BRIEF / ISSUE NO. 19 3

4 Future river basin plans must take into account the effects of climate and land cover changes. In water allocation and planning measures there is a need to consider water quantity and quality together, given that quality determines availability in some rivers. Sufficient resources must be put in place for the maintenance and improvement of the monitoring systems. 2. Water quality and ecological status There are still many problems threatening water quality within the basin, such as deficient water treatment, especially in small towns; over-exploitation, which increases the concentration of pollutants and nutrients; and diffuse pollution sources. In Madrid and in the metropolitan Lisbon area (including Lisbon, Barreiro, Almada, Montijo), for example, lack of capacity to treat all wastewater is a major challenge, even to accomplish the goals of EC Directives. The lack of capacity to treat wastewater also contributes to significant pollution of the estuary. Inflateable barrier at the Tagus River. Photo by Geoffrey D. Gooch The current water quality monitoring and modelling system is still insufficient. There are problems with the introduction of alien invasive species. Illegal water extraction should be prosecuted. There is a need to increase investment in wastewater treatment, and control wastewater dumping, gravel excavations and effluents from farms and irrigation systems. Water quality should be adapted to use requirements, e.g., industrial use might tolerate lower water quality than drinking water. More water quality control is required, with greater funds and resources for monitoring. Ecological quality evaluation must be implemented in order to verify if the good status objectives of the EC Water Framework Directive are to be met by An ecological flow regime should be implemented in order to achieve good ecological status/potential. The polluter pays principle must also be implemented effectively and fairly. Lessons could be learnt from air pollution regimes. 3. Stakeholder participation in water management Although a significant effort has been made in the last few years to make all technical data available to the public, information about the decision-making process is still deficient. Transparency in decision-making can help ensure a balanced use of water and reduce negative social and environmental impacts. Capacity building is a pre-requisite to public participation. Basic education on water issues is still lacking. Water resources management has been considered during decades a predominantly technical issue, so public participation was not incorporated in the past, although notable developments have occurred in recent years through the STRIVER POLICY BRIEF / ISSUE NO. 19 4

5 adoption of the Water Framework Directive. However, the question of who participates in what decisions and how, remains a key challenge. Active involvement and public consultation in decision-making remains largely an aspiration rather than an effective tool by which to manage water resources equitably and sustainably. Stakeholders at the 3rd STRIVER Tagus Stakeholder Workshop in Madrid in April 2009 More effort is needed to facilitate and promote stakeholder involvement in decision-making. Management at local levels needs to be coordinated effectively to fully account for public trust. Water users should be provided with more education campaigns focused on promoting best practices. At the same time, education and information tools should be made available (e.g., teaching materials, water footprint calculator, etc. Real time information on the quality of drinking water could be implemented in order to make people conscious of water quality and motivate public trust. 4. Legal and institutional aspects Major efforts have been made to put a legal framework in place that facilitates good water governance and IWRM - although notable challenges remain. There is ineffective law enforcement. Overlapping competences between different authorities, as well as a lack of dialogue and coordination of policies can lead to inefficiency and inequity since weak institutions can result in the allocation of water being determined largely on the basis of power. In Spain, different interests are represented by the Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs. In Portugal, intra-sectoral coordination is needed between the different ministries directly or indirectly involved. The interstate Albufeira Convention does not sufficiently account for water quality issues, or management of extreme events. Intra-river basin management and coordination between Spain and Portugal is at an embryonic stage. There is a need for stronger support to monitor implementation of laws relating to access to information, participation and IWRM. Water basin authorities should have the necessary resources to monitor and enforce regulations. Capacity building, stronger institutional coordination and awareness raising is also needed. Long term policies independent of government shifts are needed. Policy-makers need to consider the longterm ecosystem impacts and the impact on flows in Portugal of water transfers to the southeast of Spain. Co-ordination of the Spanish and Portuguese Tagus river basin authorities should be promoted further, and transparency to the public improved. Supranational coordination, considering the entire Tagus Basin, should be enforced in the elaboration of each of the new River Basin Management Plans. The production of a final joint document is desirable. The Albufeira Convention s provisions relating to water quality and the co-coordinated management of extreme events should be strengthened. STRIVER POLICY BRIEF / ISSUE NO. 19 5

6 The STRIVER Policy and Technical Brief series translate the results from projects into practical and useful information for policy makers and water managers. The Briefs are also available online: About STRIVER STRIVER- Strategy and methodology for improved IWRM - An integrated interdisciplinary assessment in four twinning river basins is a three year EC funded project under the 6th framework programme (FP6) coordinated jointly by Bioforsk and NIVA. The point of departure for STRIVER is the lack of clear methodologies and problems in operationalisation of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) as pointed out by both the scientific and management communities.13 partners from 9 countries participate as contractual partners in addition to an external advisory board. Title of project: Strategy and methodology for improved IWRM - An integrated interdisciplinary assessment in four twinning river basins (STRIVER) Instrument: SUSTDEV II.3.6: Twinning European/third countries river basins. Contract number: Start date of project: July 2006 Duration: 36 months Project funded by the European Commission within the Sixth Framework Programme ( ) Disclaimer The information provided and the opinions given in this publication are not necessarily those of the authors or the EC. The authors and publisher assume no liability for any loss resulting from the use of this report. Front-cover photo: Tagus River in Portugal. (Photo by Geoffrey D. Gooch) Editor: Per Stålnacke (Bioforsk) Launch-date: 30 June, 2009 STRIVER POLICY BRIEF / ISSUE NO. 19 6