Groundwater mining in the South-Eastern area of Spain: consequences and evaluation. Jose Luis García Aróstegui, Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME). International Annual UN-Water Zaragoza Conference 2012/2013. Preparing for the 2013 International Year. Water Cooperation: Making it Happen! 8-10 January 2013

1. GROUNDWATER MINING IN THE
SOUTH-EASTERN AREA OF SPAIN:
CONSEQUENCES AND EVALUATION
José Luis García-Aróstegui (j.arostegui@igme.es)
Side event: The pros and cons of intensively developed aquifers:
hydrological, economic, social, and ethical issues.
Preparatory meeting for an international research project.
9 January 2013
http://www.researcherid.com/rid/K-3454-2012

2. GROUNDWATER MINING IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN AREA OF SPAIN:
CONSEQUENCES AND EVALUATION
Estimated nonrenewable groundwater abstraction for irrigation for the year 2000 (x106 m3 yr-1).
Large amounts of groundwater are being abstracted over major irrigated regions such as India, northern China, United
States, Pakistan, southern Mexico, northern Iran, central Saudi Arabia, and southern Europe
From:
Wada et al. (2012). Nonsustainable groundwater sustaining irrigation: A global assessment. Water Resources Research
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3. GROUNDWATER MINING IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN AREA OF SPAIN:
CONSEQUENCES AND EVALUATION
Estimated nonrenewable groundwater abstraction for irrigation for the year 2000 (106 m3 yr-1).
Spain:
7% of nonrenewable
groundwater
abstraction
contributing to gross
irrigation water
demand
Large amounts of groundwater are being abstracted over major irrigated regions such as India, northern China, United
States, Pakistan, southern Mexico, northern Iran, central Saudi Arabia, and southern Europe (Italy, Bulgaria and
SE Spain)
From:
Wada et al. (2012). Nonsustainable groundwater sustaining irrigation: A global assessment. Water Resources Research
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4. GROUNDWATER MINING IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN AREA OF SPAIN:
CONSEQUENCES AND EVALUATION
FACING THE EUROPEAN WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE in Segura Basin:
2015, 2021, 2027= disproportionate costs ?
Overexploitation tendency in the Segura Basin
900 -18000
Current estimated groundwater deficit
800
al -16000
> 350 MCM/year su
s U ng)
Depletion since 1965 >12 km3 s a sti
700 -14000
n e s ca
Until 1985 (Water Law date) > 3.5 km3
si ore
Resources and withdrawals (hm /año)
Bu (f
600 -12000
3
Cumulative balance (hm )
3
500 3 -10000
464 hm /year
Ba c
400 -8000
Ba
kca
ck
ca
stin
• Area: 18870 km2 (60% Murcia) Overexploitation rate in
st
300 2009: -6000
in
• Population: 1.969.370 (year
g op
g
3
2009). Summer: > 2.500.000 354 hm /year
op
• Irrigated surface: 269.029 ha
tio
ti o n
(data from CHS) (14% of the
200 -4000
n
Basin; 2690 km2)
20
• Climatology:
201
27
• Semi-arid climate
5
• Average rainfall: 365 mm/y 100 -2000
• PET: 827 mm/year
• High climatic contrasts
• Droughts / Floods
• Hydrogeology: 0 0
1965
2010
2015
2020
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2025
2030
2035
2040
• Complex geological
structures (Cordilleras
Béticas)
• Large number of aquifers,
small and partitioned Total Withdrawals (hm3/year) Mean Resource (hm3/year) Cumulative balance (hm3/year)
• > 10.000 wells and tubewells
Be carefull: Forget myth that “recharge=sustainable yield”
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5. GROUNDWATER MINING IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN AREA OF SPAIN:
CONSEQUENCES AND EVALUATION
From natural regime to current status…
Shall we create
something new
to disregard the
intermediary ?
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6. GROUNDWATER MINING IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN AREA OF SPAIN:
CONSEQUENCES AND EVALUATION
Quantitative problems: groundwater decline
68% of the GWBs are in
Examples of fast rates of groundwater-level drawdown
poor status and will not
in some aquifers of Segura Basin Segura Basin
Groundwater-level evolution in some “overexploited” aquifers in (40 years)
1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015
reach the objectives of
0 the Water Framework
Directive even considering
100
the two extensions provided
Depth to groundwater level (metres)
Por problemas Po
200 cuantitativos cua
300
400
500
10.4 m/y
600
Jumilla-Villena 263440005 Ascoy-Sopalmo 263470014
Serral-Salinas (Sector Centro-Occidental) 273420002 Alto Guadalentín 253920008
Bajo Guadalentín 253880015 Triásico de los Victorias (Campo Cartagena) 273810046/52
• Continuous decline of groundwater levels
• Lowering of groundwater discharge (springs, wetlands, rivers…)
• Modifications of the groundwater flow around withdrawal areas, springs or discharge areas
• Mixings of water masses, damages or progressive deterioration of water quality, including marine intrusion
• Subsidence of un-consolidated sediments, collapses in evaporitic and carbonate materials
• POSITIVE-NEGATIVE BALANCE: social, mitigate poverty, economic, opportunity, developing, environment
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7. GROUNDWATER MINING IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN AREA OF SPAIN:
CONSEQUENCES AND EVALUATION
Ascoy-Sopalmo aquifer: continuous groundwater decline
Total
depletion of
1.8 km3
Not scaled
Officially declared overexploited on 7 January 1987
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8. GROUNDWATER MINING IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN AREA OF SPAIN:
CONSEQUENCES AND EVALUATION
Developing a new method for the integrated water resources management of overexploited
hydrogeological systems: Object-Oriented Bayesian Nerworks
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9. GROUNDWATER MINING IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN AREA OF SPAIN:
CONSEQUENCES AND EVALUATION
Example of Bayesian Network structure for every aquifer(*): links between variables
INPUT VARIABLES
OBJECTIVES SOCIOECONOMIC PART
INTERFACE NODE 1
INTERFACE NODE 2
HYDROLOGICAL PART
(*) “Stakeholder participation is the key to achieve the validation of this type of model, as well as strengthening
collaboration and increasing confidence among stakeholders, managers and researchers”
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10. GROUNDWATER MINING IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN AREA OF SPAIN:
CONSEQUENCES AND EVALUATION
Examples of results achieved
Agricultural Net Profit (Euro/ha) Number of Agricultural Employments (empl/ha)
1. BUSINESS AS USUAL (BAU): CURRENT CONDITIONS
2. INDIVIDUAL WATER MANAGEMENT ACTIONS (IWMA)
2.1 WATER DEMAND REDUCTION (WDR)
2.2 EXTERNAL IRRIGATION WATER RESOURCE INCOME (EIWRI)
Scenarios 2.3. PURCHASE OF WATER RIGHTS (PWR)
3. WATER BALANCE EQUILIBRIUM (WBE)
3.1 EXTERNAL IRRIGATION WATER RESOURCE INCOME (EIWRI)
3.2 PURCHASE OF WATER RIGHTS (PWR)
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11. GROUNDWATER MINING IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN AREA OF SPAIN:
CONSEQUENCES AND EVALUATION
Examples of economic results achieved: Cost-effectiveness analysis
TOTAL BENEFIT
COST (m3/y) RATE ECONOMIC
COD SCENARIO DESCRIPTION
(€/y) (amount of water
saved from the
(€/m3) EVALUATION METHOD
aquifer)
BUSINESS AS ----------------------------------------
S.1 USUAL (BAU) CURRENT CONDITIONS 0 0 0
--
WATER DEMAND
47*106 45*106 1.05 “Lost profits"
REDUCTION (WDR)
Loss of Agricultural Net
INDIVIDUAL 14*10 6
43*10 6
0.32 Margin (FROM
WATER EXTERNAL IRRIGATION DESALINATED WATER)
S.2 MANAGEMENT WATER RESOURCE
ACTIONS INCOME (EIWRI) Loss of Agricultural Net
(IWMA) 1*10 6
20*10 6
0.05 Margin (FROM JV
TRANSFER)
PURCHASE OF WATER 16*106 9*106 2.20 “Lost profits"
RIGHTS (PWR)
WATER Loss of Agricultural Net
EXTERNAL IRRIGATION
Margin (FROM
BALANCE WATER RESOURCE 35*106 111*106 0.32
DESALINATED WATER)
EQUILIBRIUM INCOME (EIWRI)
(WBE)
S.3 As a water frame
directive requirement
(quantitative good PURCHASE OF WATER 120*106 111*106 1.03 “Lost profits"
states of water RIGHTS (PWR)
masses)
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12. GROUNDWATER MINING IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN AREA OF SPAIN:
CONSEQUENCES AND EVALUATION
Alto Guadalentín aquifer
Total
depletion of
1.6 km3
Not scaled
Officially declared overexploited on 4 october 1988 LORCA
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13. GROUNDWATER MINING IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN AREA OF SPAIN:
CONSEQUENCES AND EVALUATION
Authors suggest that the location and magnitude of the
Lorca earthquake (11 May 2011) was influenced by anthropogenic groundwater extraction
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14. GROUNDWATER MINING IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN AREA OF SPAIN:
CONSEQUENCES AND EVALUATION
News headlines (Oct-2012): Social (and economics) impact.
More knowledge is needed…
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15. GROUNDWATER MINING IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN AREA OF SPAIN:
CONSEQUENCES AND EVALUATION
Balancing the positive and negative impacts, and then decide...
the long-term water management strategies: Making it Happen !
Managed Development
Gradual Recovery
average aquifer water level
General Stabilization
Evaluation of groundwater resources and management options
Orderly Depletion
time
UNPLANNED RATIONALIZATION SCENARIO OF
MINING GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT
rapid depletion with With knowledge of temporary recharge rate and
uncertain trajectory availability of groundwater storage
Based on:
Foster, S. S. D. & Loucks, D. P. (eds) Non-Renewable Groundwater Resources: A Guidebook on Socially-Sustainable Management for Water-Policy
Makers (UNESCO, 2006)
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16. GROUNDWATER MINING IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN AREA OF SPAIN:
CONSEQUENCES AND EVALUATION
Many thanks for your attention
Acknowledgments:
Euro-mediterranean Water Institute
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