A grandes transformaciones agrarias, grandes impactos hídricos: un análisis histórico del consumo agrario de agua en España

This paper evaluates the main transformations that have taken place in the Spanish agricultural sector since the mid-19th century and their interrelation with water resources. After analyzing the most important structural changes in agriculture in the long term, the text places special emphasis on the role of the expansion of irrigation as a driver of agricultural development in Spain, and as a motor of the growing pressures on water requirements. This is followed by a study of the large-scale construction of hydraulic projects since the end of the 19th century, which was consolidated during the Franco dictatorship, as well as the recent modernization of irrigation infrastructures. Subsequently, the main indicators that show the impact that this successful (in economic terms) agricultural process has had on the volume of water used are summarized, paying attention both to the main national milestones and to the integration of Spanish agriculture and livestock farming into international markets.In short, this paper aims to offer a state of the art of the historical water-agriculture dynamics for Spain.