Groundwater in Spain faces mounting pressures
Spanish aquifers are deteriorating. Nearly half of the groundwater bodies are in poor condition, a finding that emerges from the documents used to shape future hydrological plans. Spain missed the 2021 deadline to restore these waters and now sits at high risk of failing environmental targets set under the Water Framework Directive for 2027. In some cases, extensions or looser goals may be possible, but non-compliance would carry financial penalties.
The situation remains critical. Projections indicate that 19 percent of groundwater bodies will not meet the 2027 deadline, with full good status unlikely to arrive for a decade or more. Some forecasts push the timeline to 2039 or later for about 8 percent of the masses. Greenpeace has condemned the current trajectory.
Extensions are requested for 353 groundwater masses out of 804, covering more than 140,000 square kilometers. That is a vast swath equal to over 40 percent of Spain’s groundwater territory.
According to a Greenpeace report, Spain relies on a yearly groundwater supply of roughly 29,400 cubic meters per person. This figure represents the water available annually if all groundwater bodies are allowed to recover their natural regeneration capacity.
The Confederates seek extensions after 2027 for 152 underground bodies totaling more than 75,000 square kilometers, hoping to reach good status. Most of these bodies are contaminated by nitrates stemming from agriculture and industrial livestock farming.
Overuse and weak oversight
Greenpeace argues that groundwater has been neglected in Spain, with overuse and over-regeneration practices that pollute the water cycle. This resource is increasingly recognized as vital, especially as climate shocks grow and droughts lengthen.
In Doñana, Laguna de Santaolaya, and other sites, groundwater issues have drawn attention. The report notes that areas once considered protected, such as Tablas de Daimiel and Doñana, face ongoing risks and potential disaster scenarios linked to groundwater-related impacts like riverbed reduction and coastal saltwater intrusion.
Greenpeace emphasizes that public focus often centers on reservoirs, rivers, and lagoons during dry spells, while groundwater remains a slower priority. Water is a precious human resource, and neglect carries a heavy cost.
Chemical contamination from nitrates, sulfates, pesticides, and arsenic already reaches tap water in some regions. The Ministry of Ecological Transition reports that about 30 percent of Spain’s population relies on groundwater for drinking needs.
The map of groundwater bodies shifts when examining the different pressures—extraction, pollution, and management practices. The highest damage tends to concentrate in the south where intensive agriculture sits, and where large farming operations expand, increasingly affecting aquifers in the Ebro and Segura basins.
Groundwater status by hydrographic basins
Greenpeace notes that both the quantitative and chemical statuses mirror regional economic interdependence. In the Guadiana basin, for instance, 55 percent of groundwater bodies suffer from poor quantitative status due to decades of irrigation withdrawals. This has led to drying of major features like Tablas de Daimiel and the Lagunas de Ruidera, reshaping the landscape of Alto Guadiana.
The overall chemical status remains poor in about 80 percent of investigated masses, pointing to widespread nutrient loading from manure, livestock farming, and fertilizer use. In the Segura basin and nearby regions, nitrate and related compounds threaten drinking water and agricultural sustainability alike.
Agriculture and macro farms leave their mark on the Ebro and Guadalquivir basins as well, with nitrate, ammonium, and arsenic contributing to groundwater degradation. Pesticides also affect several basins, underscoring the need for stronger controls and smarter land use. Saltwater intrusion and intrusion-related contamination persist along coastal aquifers due to extreme withdrawals and poor well management inland.
Overview by basins
Greenpeace argues that the balance between groundwater quantities and chemical quality across basins reflects the broader economic picture. In the Guadiana area, past irrigation practices left the land drier and the aquifer more vulnerable, while the inner basins of Segura, Guadalquivir, and Duero show ongoing chemical concerns and overextraction in many zones.
The organ in charge has faced heavy scrutiny for how it handles water resources, including the long-standing challenge of aligning water use with regeneration capacity. Observers call for more rigorous oversight and a transition toward sustainable farming and water management practices to protect this essential resource for communities and ecosystems alike.
Greenpeace highlights the need for a more honest accounting of groundwater health and stronger safeguards against pollution and overuse. A renewed focus on core groundwater issues would support both drinking water security and the long-term resilience of rural economies in Spain.
Reference material from Greenpeace underscores the urgent need for reforms and better management of aquatic resources to avert a deeper water crisis in the coming years.