Protecting water amid the climate crisis has emerged as one of humanity’s most pressing challenges. The Council of Ministers approved the Strategic Guidelines for Water and Climate Change, following recommendations from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge. This pivotal document lays out the framework and measures for planning and managing Spain’s water resources, aiming to boost the country’s resilience to global warming with a 2030 horizon.
The objective centers on safeguarding water as an essential resource against the looming challenges posed by climate disruption. After the Cabinet meeting, Isabel Rodríguez, the Minister for Territorial Policy and Government spokesperson, underscored the plan’s role in mitigating the impacts of extreme heat and fires, alongside other climate-related risks.
Rodríguez recalled periods of severe drought followed by the largest floods in Spain’s history, underscoring the heightened frequency and intensity of wildfires, heatwaves, and water scarcity. She noted that the country faces persistently unfavorable conditions for water availability, and the new strategy seeks to address these realities head-on.
According to the Government of Pedro Sánchez, Spain is taking a leadership role in responsible water management. The plan targets multiple forms of water stress, including scarcity during droughts, excessive floods, and the overall pressure on water resources. It also aims to improve the quality of treated water and to protect rivers, lakes, aquifers, and wetlands, among other goals.
Flexible hydrological planning
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlights the Mediterranean region as particularly vulnerable to warming. As a result, water resources in many basins are likely to become more strained. The strategy concentrates on identifying the key management challenges and selecting the most suitable tools to address them, ensuring a proactive response to emerging water pressures.
Climate change and evaporation are important losses to consider in water management. (EFE / Abel Alonso)
The Strategic Directions will guide the initiation of concrete actions that align with European Union water policies and promote climate-resilient hydrological planning across the nation.
Among the objectives, emphasis is placed on recovering, restoring, and protecting rivers, lakes, aquifers, and wetlands; strengthening water security; improving sanitation and treatment in urban areas; and advancing efforts to prevent widespread pollution while mitigating flood and drought risks.
The document also commits to strengthening the financing of water utilities and to advancing the international water agenda. The planned actions will be supported by the introduction of new technologies, sustainable economic activities, and a governance model for water that is transparent, inclusive, and fair.
Key instruments for implementing the measures include watershed hydrological plans, flood risk management plans, and drought response plans. The strategy will be supported by initiatives in the Groundwater Action Plan under preparation, the DSEAR Plan, the PERTE for the Digitization of the Water Cycle, and the National River Restoration Strategy.
Four key milestones by 2030
The execution of these action lines is set for 2030 and will be marked by four significant milestones. By the end of 2022, hydrological plans and Flood Risk Management Plans will undergo a third cycle confirmation. By 2025, the first work program of the National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change will be completed. By 2027, the third cycle of hydrological planning and the second cycle of flood risk planning will be finalized. By 2030, the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and the National Plan will be in place.
The La Serera reservoir dam near Badajoz is cited as an example of the nation’s water infrastructure.
The government decision aligns with the Climate Change and Energy Transformation Act, approved in May 2021, which called for a strategy that defines guidelines and measures for water planning and management in Spain. This reflects the growing recognition that climate change effects on water systems are becoming increasingly evident, and the plan will monitor progress against established targets.
Monitoring indices are included to verify whether Spain is approaching or moving away from the targets set by the measures adopted. Among the main challenges in water management are maintaining a fragile balance between available resources and demand, ensuring sanitation and decontamination, addressing groundwater conditions, and mitigating river ailments. In addition, updates to the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive and nitrate pollution pose further challenges to overcome, as noted by the government.