Water Pricing in Spain: Following the Footsteps of Somber Climate Change Projections

Abstract

As many other countries, Spain has to cope with, and be prepared to address, major water challenges: climate change, growing demand, and water pollution. Climate change projections indicate signifi cant reductions of runoff and water recharge and more unstable climate regimes. Improving water allocation has become an urgent need. Water demand management is now one of the most relevant issues in the Spanish water policy agenda. The chapter discusses the controversial topic of water pricing, focusing on Spain. The Water Framework Directive (WFD) foresees that, in order to ensure an effi cient and sustainable management of water resources, prices should be fi xed according to the principle of cost recovery. But our analysis of all policy-relevant drivers and likely scenarios suggests that reforming water-pricing policies is likely to face numerous obstacles and to raise strong opposition from most water users. And yet, pricing policies in Spain are already innovative and fully implemented for all sectors. So the way to reform is already paved, and we expect that more progress will be made in next WFD planning period (2015)(2016)(2017)(2018)(2019)(2020).

Sensitivity of Agricultural Development to Water-Related Drivers: The Case of Andalusia (Spain)

“…Irrigation costs comprise system operation and maintenance, energy, and water costs, the weight of each varying based on the origin of water (i.e., groundwater, surface water, etc.) and across river basins [79]. On average, operation and maintenance costs represent 42% of total irrigation costs, whereas energy costs accounts for 37% and water costs are 21% in Andalusian irrigated agriculture [27].…”

Combining economic policy instruments with desalinisation to reduce overdraft in the Spanish Alto Guadalentín aquifer

“…In the case of Spain, water pricing is rather viewed as a tool for cost recovery. Thus groundwater users, who abstract water themselves and do not benefit from public water infrastructures, do not pay any water tariffs (Calatrava et al, 2015).…”

La Actividad De Los Mercados Formales De Agua en La Cuenca Del Segura

“…En cuanto a las tarifas del agua, la tarifa media pagada en baja es casi 0,17 €/m 3 (CHS, 2014), muy por encima de la media de España (Calatrava et al, 2015). Por orígenes, las tarifas medias oscilan entre los 0,035 €/m 3 de los recursos superficiales y depurados, los 0,20 €/m 3 de los subterráneos y los 0,40 €/m 3 de los desalinizados.…”