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The Importance of Prevention in Tackling Desertification: An Approach to Anticipate Risks of Degradation in Coastal Aquifers

Author

Listed:
  • Javier Ibáñez

    (Departamento de Economía Agraria, Estadística y Gestión de Empresas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain)

  • Rolando Gartzia

    (Departamento de Ingeniería Civil, Universidad Católica de Murcia, 30107 Murcia, Spain)

  • Francisco Javier Alcalá

    (Departamento de Desertificación y Geo-Ecología, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA–CSIC), 04120 Almería, Spain
    Instituto de Ciencias Químicas Aplicadas, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago 7500138, Chile)

  • Jaime Martínez-Valderrama

    (Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio “Ramón Margalef”, Universidad de Alicante, Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain)

Abstract

Groundwater degradation is a major issue on an increasingly hot and thirsty planet. The problem is critical in drylands, where recharge rates are low and groundwater is the only reliable resource in a context of water scarcity and stress. Aquifer depletion and contamination is a process of desertification. Land Degradation Neutrality is regarded as the main initiative to tackle land degradation and desertification. It is embedded in target 15.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals and focused on preventing these dynamics. Within this framework, we present an approach to assess risks of degradation and desertification in coastal basins with aquifers threatened by seawater intrusion. The approach utilizes an integrated system dynamics model representing the main relationships between the aquifer and an intensively irrigated area (greenhouses) driven by short- and medium-term profitability. The study area is located in a semi-arid region in Southern Spain, the Gualchos stream basin, which contains the Castell de Ferro aquifer. We found that the risk of salinization of the aquifer is 73%, while there is a 70% risk that the system would increases its demand for surface water in the future, and the chance of doubling the current demand is almost 50%. If the current system of reservoirs in the area were not able to satisfy such an increase in demand because of climate change, the basin would be at a serious risk of desertification.

Suggested Citation

  • Javier Ibáñez & Rolando Gartzia & Francisco Javier Alcalá & Jaime Martínez-Valderrama, 2022. "The Importance of Prevention in Tackling Desertification: An Approach to Anticipate Risks of Degradation in Coastal Aquifers," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-18, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:10:p:1626-:d:922200
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. J. S. Famiglietti, 2014. "The global groundwater crisis," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 4(11), pages 945-948, November.
    2. Juan Carlos Pérez-Mesa & Lucía Aballay & Mª Serrano-Arcos & Raquel Sánchez-Fernández, 2020. "Analysis of Intermodal Transport Potentials for Vegetables Export from Southeast Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-16, October.
    3. Jaime Martínez-Valderrama & Gabriel del Barrio & María E. Sanjuán & Emilio Guirado & Fernando T. Maestre, 2022. "Desertification in Spain: A Sound Diagnosis without Solutions and New Scenarios," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-13, February.
    4. L. De Stefano & J.M. Fornés & J.A. López-Geta & F. Villarroya, 2015. "Groundwater use in Spain: an overview in light of the EU Water Framework Directive," International Journal of Water Resources Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(4), pages 640-656, December.
    5. Ibáñez, Javier & Valderrama, Jaime Martínez & Puigdefábregas, Juan, 2008. "Assessing desertification risk using system stability condition analysis," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 213(2), pages 180-190.
    6. Antonelli, Marta & Basile, Linda & Gagliardi, Francesca & Isernia, Pierangelo, 2022. "The future of the Mediterranean agri-food systems: Trends and perspectives from a Delphi survey," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
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    Cited by:

    1. Naomi di Santo & Ilaria Russo & Roberta Sisto, 2022. "Climate Change and Natural Resource Scarcity: A Literature Review on Dry Farming," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-25, November.
    2. Fahad Mushtaq & Habibur Rehman & Umair Ali & Muhammad Salman Babar & Mohammad Saleh Al-Suwaiyan & Zaher Mundher Yaseen, 2023. "An Investigation of Recharging Groundwater Levels through River Ponding: New Strategy for Water Management in Sutlej River," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-18, January.
    3. Jaime Martínez-Valderrama & Jorge Olcina & Gonzalo Delacámara & Emilio Guirado & Fernando T. Maestre, 2023. "Complex Policy Mixes are Needed to Cope with Agricultural Water Demands Under Climate Change," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 37(6), pages 2805-2834, May.

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