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Victor Juan Cifuentes Sanchez.Head of Hydrological Planning OfficeGuadalquivir River Basin Authority

The case of the Guadalquivir River Basin in Spain

New Delhi, 24/11/2015Indo-european Water Forum

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• Physical framework• Main management features• Tools for reconciling pressures and

environmental objectives• The administrative framework and river

basin agency

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• Physical framework

The most southern of european great basins, spreads on 57.600 km2

IntroducciónGuadalquivir basin

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From the higher peaks of West Europe outside the Alps (3.481 m)

To sea level, at the wetlands of Doñana National Park

Geographycal & Geological frameworkIntroducción

La cuenca del Guadalquivir

400 km

80 km

180 km

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Average rain: 560 mm. Average flow: 220 m3/s. Mediterranean climate, with long, dry summers. High variability: Recurrent floods and droughts.

Geographycal & Geological frameworkIntroducción

La cuenca del Guadalquivir

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Right side: Impervious materials (granites, slates and gneiss). High run off. Low baseflow.

Geographycal & Geological frameworkIntroducción

La cuenca del Guadalquivir

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Left side :Highlands: limestones and calcareous materials: acuifers, springs and high baseflowLowlands: gypsum and other salty materials. Natural bad quality, land prone to salinization

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• Main basin management features

Diffuse pollution (N: 11.738 Tn/y)

Petrochemical industrial hub

Increasing use of groundwater and no

regulated water

Water supply for 4 millions people

Big irrigated surface (846.000 Ha)

Estuary management (navigation, rice,

acuiculture)

Doñana National Park(Ramsar list

wetland)

FEATURE Total

Average rain 560 mm

Average flow 7.092 hm3

Big dams 48

Reservoir capacity 8.106 hm3

USES Total

Human Supply (4,100.000 h.) 380 hm3

Irrigation (846.000 ha)

3.342 hm3

Industry 80 hm3

TOTAL3.802(956

subterr.)

Agriculture and Guadalquivir River Basin ManagementIrrigated area 8.460 km2 Use of water 3.361 hm3 (85 % of total)

Olive trees cover 25% of the whole basin and for centuries it has been a non irrigated crop. If irrigated it yields an excellent crop with less than 2000 m3/ha. Since 1990, the irrigated surface has mounted from 50.000 ha to 500.000 ha. Most of this land uses high efficiency drip systems, and a high % uses ground water or takes the water in winter and store it in small dams in the propery land (“selfregulacion”)

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This system “squeezes” the basin and imposes a heavy toll on aquifers and baseflow

Irrigation has promoted the development and the permanence of rural world, but is a heavy burden that can’t be increased

The modernization needs heavy investments and increases the energy costs. As a result, needs less water but require an stronger garantee.

• Garantee: the security of receiving the allocated water. • In order to keep the garantee, the worst decenal shortage of

water must be:

– < 10 % of a year supply in human supply: fairly accomplished – < 1 year supply in agriculture: far of being accomplished

• Worst accumulated 10 years shortage in irrigation is 6.550 hm3. Needs are 3.342 hm3, so anual deficit is

(6550-3342)/10 = 313 hm3,313/3342 = 9,3 %

River basin management

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• Tools for reconciling pressures and

environmental objectives

Tools & strategies for dealing with water shortage and reaching environmental aims

• Strict water use control– No new water licenses for irrigation allowed

– Current license holders can increase their irrigated land only

if they modernize and save water, using 45 % of water

savings. The remaining 55 % can’t be used.

– The water police (guardería fluvial) patrols rivers and

aquifers, supported by remote sensing, in order to control

that everybody respect the basin agency prescriptions.

Tools & strategies for dealing with water shortage and reaching environmental aims

• Strict comsumtion control (“guardería fluvial”), including remote sensing.

• Modernization & policy changes– 75% percent of surface have been

modernized in last ten years.– The Hydrological Plan imposes high

efficiencies : 86 % for drips, 75 % for sprinklers, 70 % for surface agriculture

Big irrigation zones: modernization, context changes an water saving

Average irrigation dose

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Campaña de riego

Dot

acio

n m

3/ha

5900 m3/ha

2650 m3/ha

4400 m3/ha

Drought

Increased energy costCap reformModernization

Savings: 1500 m3/ha

Tools & strategies for dealing with water shortage and reaching environmental aims

• Strict water use control (“guardería fluvial”), including remote sensing.

• Modernization & policy changes• Real time control of water management

Automatical System of Hydrological Information There is a basin control center that collects, transmits and displays data for real time decission making (SCADA-based system) It’s a fundamental tool in floods events. Allows a very efficient management of water supply to main users (irrigated areas, urban supply and hydropower)

Redes automáticas de medidaSAIH

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Based in 221 control points

Redes automáticas de medidaSAIH

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Redes automáticas de medidaSAIHDisplays real time river flow

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Displays real time rain maps, very usefull for real time planning of reservoir releases

Redes automáticas de medidaSAIH

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Redes automáticas de medidaSAIH

Real time management of irrigation supply27

Redes automáticas de medida

Each irrigated area can very closely monitored

SAIH

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The control center allows a close control and monitoring of the whole basin, both in real time and for studies purposes

Redes automáticas de medida

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Tools & strategies for dealing with water shortage and reaching environmental aims

• Strict water use control (“guardería fluvial”), including remote sensing.

• Modernization & policy changes• Centralised control of water management• Drought monitoring, with an early

warning approach and inmediate measures

Droughts

We should highlight the

1.991 a 1.995 drought: it

was four years long, and

the last year was the

worst

However, it had a

positive effect on the

management, as it

triggered the

developpment of the

drought plans

Aportación en la demarcación hidrográfica del GuadalquivirThe drought is a recurrent phenomenon in the mediterranean world: “everyday the next drought is a day closer”

Droughts

At Guadalquivir river basin the main indicator in every system is its capacity to meet the assigned demands.

In irrigation systems, the thresholds are based on the assumptipn that rain of next three years rain will be equal o less than the percentil 5%. (20 years drought). : •EARLY DROUGHT OR “PREALERT” (0,5 > Ie > 0,3). The system can’t guarantee 3 years of supply

•MODERATE DROUGHT OR “ALERT” (0,3 > Ie > 0,15)  The system can’t guarantee 2 years of supply

•SEVERE DROUGHT OR “EMERGENCY” (Ie < 0,15) The system can’t guarantee 1 year of supply (at 60 %)

Human supply systems: the 100 years drought is used

Mixed systems have an intermediate treatment

Droughts

Measures to be taken in order to cope with droughts:

Normal state: Hydrological Planning

Early drought: Estrategical measures: checking & control of alternatives sources of supply. Increase the public awarness. Water saving starts.

Moderate drought: tactical measures in order to cope with the scarcity. Water rights trade. Water saving increases. Reduction of environmental flows starts.

Severe drought: emergency measures in order to guarantee the supply.

Additionally, every town bigger than 20.000 should have an “drought special plan” that defines all the measures to be taken at local scale (human supply) in every state of the drought.

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Sevilla metropolitan area (1,4 mh) Drought special plan

Droughts: Guadalquivir basin current situation

Drought indicator Guadalquivir. Oct 2004 - Oct 2015

0,00

0,10

0,20

0,30

0,40

0,50

0,60

0,70

0,80

0,90

1,00

Ie

Emergencia

Alerta

Prealerta

Tools & strategies for dealing with water shortage and reaching environmental aims

• Strict comsumtion control (“guardería fluvial”), including remote sensing.

• Modernization & policy changes• Centralised control of water management• Drought monitoring, with early drought

warning and inmediate measures• Environmental flows

Reconciling WFD objectives and water uses: environmental flows.

• Spain has a legal regulation concerning environmental flows (“caudales ecologicos”), based on Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM)

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Reconciling WFD objectives and water uses: environmental flows.

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• The administrative framework and

river basin agency

Administrative FrameworkWater is managed in Spain with an hidrographic basin approach since almost hundred years ago. This model is becoming common elsewhere in the 21th century, specially in Europe, where is compulsory since the entry in force of the Water Frame Directive (WFD)

La ConfederaciónCuenca, regiones y provincias

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Administrative FrameworkGuadalquivir river basin spreads on four administrative regions, so its management is under the responsability of Central Administration.

La ConfederaciónCuenca, regiones y gestión

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Administrative Framework

The Guadalquivir River Basin Authorithy (Confederación Hidrográfica del Guadalquivir, CHG) was founded in 1927 and is the public corporation in charge of the whole hydrological cicle, both superficial and subterranean phases.

It’s an autonomous institution, so has its own legal personalility, its own patrimony and income taxes, and capacity for contracting its own debts or obligations.

Is participated by skateholders and users.

La ConfederaciónEstructura

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La Confederación

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The President is the ultimate basin authority. His decisions can only be appealed to the legal courts.He is appointed by the central government, and is suportted by four technical departments:

La Confederación

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Granting and register of water rights and spilling licenses. Water police and control. There is a water police (“guarderia fluvial”) which is a public authority.Management of monitoring networks.

La Confederación

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Planning, building, operation and manteinance of hydraulical public works (dams, canals and alike)

La Confederación

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General administration and human resources.Accounting and economical management.Informatics Services.Legal Services.

La Confederación

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Drafting, elaboration & follow up of Hydrological Plan. Informing the compatibility with the Plan of every proposalDevelopment of management plans for overexploted aquifers

•Public participacion has a key role in decission making.

• Users and skateholders (administrations, irrigators, industrials, environmental organisations, trade unions, etc) are present in several boards

La Confederaciónde los usiuarios

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Public participation

Governing Board: decission

making, budget.

Water Council. Approval of the

Hydrological Plan.

Damwater Releases Commision:

planning of filling and releasing of

reservoirs and aquifers.

Waterworks boards. Coordination

of management of resources and

public works of rivers and aquifers

whose uses are closely linked

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Thank you Thank you for your for your attentionattention

49Córdoba. Q = 2.000 mCórdoba. Q = 2.000 m33/s/s