JÚCAR CASE STUDY

The Jucar River forms a semi-arid Basin in Spain, which faces severe water shortages to irrigation under ongoing drying due to climate change.

Júcar

The Jucar River, which drains into the Mediterranean Sea just south of Valencia is a major river basin in Spain (22,260 km2). It is located in a semi-arid climate characterized by winter rains and dry hot summers and is prone to winter flooding and intense summer drought. More than 50% of the basin is composed of arable land, and the agricultural sector accounts for about 80% of the total basin-wide water use. The low water availability, especially in the summer months, in combination with high agricultural and urban water demand make the Jucar basin subject to water scarcity. The Jucar River Basin Authority manages the scarce water resources to ensure allocation among the different sectoral users. However, the Mediterranean region is a global climate hotspot and will likely experience ongoing future drying. Meaningful and actionable advice to further develop existing River Basin Hydrological and Drought Management Plans in the context of increasing drought and decreasing water availability is needed.