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[AQ1]The aim of this study is to conduct an ex post analysis of the generalized implementation of drip irrigation in the last two decades in the Valencia Region (Spain). Due to the important role played by water users' associations (WUAs) in this socio-technological change in the region, this research was based on 77 interviews with different WUAs that provided information prior and subsequent to modernization. Firstly, we review the published studies concerning the effects generated by this technological change and describe the drip irrigation promotion policies implemented by national and regional governments. Subsequently, we analyse the consequences for irrigation associations, including effects on water use and irrigation costs.The reduction of water withdrawals has been generally significant. This was possible because the regional contextual factors prevented, in most cases, crop intensification and areal expansion. Nevertheless, due to the enormous investment effort and the resulting maintenance costs, the technological change has increased irrigation costs, generating some uncertainties concerning the financial sustainability of some WUAs. In conclusion, a thorough assessment of contextual factors and accompanying measures such as technical assistance and monitoring appear to be indispensable to avoid unforeseen effects and to achieve the potential goals of conversion to drip technologies.1

The aim of this article is to analyze the strategies developed by water users' associations in Spain to overcome drought in a context of structural scarcity due to geographical conditions and from the development of expansionary irrigation policies. This analysis is based on interviews with farmers and representatives of water user's associations in four selected irrigation districts placed in the Valencia Region. The work demonstrates that in a relatively small area of the Mediterranean there are very different levels of vulnerability, generally related to the origin and diversity of water resources. Diversification of resources and hydraulic interconnection of districts, which allows for water management flexibility, appear to be the best way to improve drought resilience in the area. However, some institutional and environmental risks of these strategies are also outlined.

IWA PublishingGarcía Molla, M.; Ortega Reig, MV.; Sanchis Ibor, C.; Avella Reus, LF. (2014). The effects of irrigation modernization on the cost recovery of water in the Valencia Region (Spain Abstract:The modernization of the irrigation systems has been the main strategy followed by the regional administration of the Valencia Region to cope with the structural water deficit of the region, particularly severe during the last three decades. These policies have been oriented to the substitution of gravity irrigation systems for drip technology. The technological change has involved an important investment effort, developed by the different public administrations and also the farmers and water users associations (WUAs). This transformation, has also involved a change in the structure of costs of the water users associations. This paper analyzes the changes in costs and tariffs of irrigation after the important investments made in the modernization of irrigation. The effects of subsidies on the percentage of the cost recovery in the services of water for irrigation are also considered. All of them have developed modernization projects in the recent years. It can be concluded that conflict between two objectives proposed by the WFD may exist. On the one hand, significant reductions of water supply are observed; meanwhile on the other hand, the cost recovery percentage diminishes significantly.

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