Integrated Management, Circular Economy and Reclaimed Water: Keys to Restoring the Long-Term Water Balance in La Marina Alta (Alicante, Spain)

César Sánchez-Pérez () and María-Inmaculada López-Ortiz
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César Sánchez-Pérez: Institute of Water and Environmental Sciences, University of Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, 03690 Alicante, Spain
María-Inmaculada López-Ortiz: Institute of Water and Environmental Sciences, University of Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, 03690 Alicante, Spain

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 12, 1-25

Abstract: This research is focused on water governance problems in La Marina Alta District, in the province of Alicante (southeastern Spain). The district has a public management body, Consorcio de Abastecimiento y Saneamiento de Aguas de los Municipios de La Marina Alta (CASAMA), which has been inoperative since its creation in 1987. Although La Marina Alta has sufficient water resources in situations of hydrological normality, they are significantly affected by the impacts of climate change, insufficient water treatment technology and the absence of storage and regulation infrastructure. As a consequence, periods of scarcity and overexploitation of aquifers, together with high-demand situations, have generated scenarios of a lack of drinking water with reputational damage and uncertainty for the future of agricultural operations. Thus, the aim of this work is to propose the adoption of integrated water resource management strategies that will increase the resilience of this sub-basin in La Marina Alta . To this end, the contribution of new non-conventional resources to the water pool, combined with an efficient network of infrastructure, and all this supported by effective governance structures, would be essential to achieve a sustainable balance between demand and supply, preserving the environmental values of the territory.

Keywords: effective governance; integrated management; water balance; reclaimed water; circular economy; groundwater overexploitation; hydraulic infrastructure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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