Tourism stands out as a major consumer of Spain’s water resources, accounting for a significant share of usage alongside agriculture. Official estimates place tourism among the sectors that most strain water supplies, even as tourism contributes about 13% to the country’s GDP. This observation comes from a spokesperson for the We Are Water Foundation, highlighting the pressing interplay between hospitality activity and water availability on World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
Spain is recognized as one of the most water-stressed industrialized nations. The question many policymakers and observers raise is whether there is sufficient awareness of this scarcity in everyday life and policy decisions.
Spain ranks third in the European Union for agricultural land use, with irrigation demands that typically require 70% to 80% of water resources. While drip irrigation dominates much of the farming landscape, some fields still rely on irrigation methods that waste water and reduce efficiency, a concern repeatedly noted by experts and agricultural managers.
Government data also indicate that aquifers face contamination from nitrates, a reality underscored by the We Are Water Foundation. This issue gained renewed attention after ecological incidents linked to tourism areas nearby, such as La Manga del Mar Menor in the previous summer, drawing national media and social media focus to water quality and environmental health.
Tourism drains Spain’s water reserves
Tourism remains one of the sectors with the highest water use. The average daily water consumption for a resident is around 127 liters, while the water footprint per tourist falls within roughly 450 to 800 liters. Projections suggest that tens of millions of visitors who came to Spain before the pandemic would return, often during the driest months of the year, amplifying seasonal pressures on water resources.
In the Balearic Islands, recent findings show that tourism accounts for about one quarter of water use in the archipelago. A University of the Balearic Islands study estimated that tourism consumed 24.2% of total water usage on average across the islands, a figure derived from data gathered during the lockdown months of 2020 when tourist arrivals were halted. The study, published in a peer-reviewed journal, examined water consumption patterns in nine Balearic municipalities for 2019 and 2020, revealing a clear link between reduced overnight stays and lower water use.
From the Geography Department, researchers noted that the lockdown created an unusual but instructive window for measuring monthly water consumption by tourism. This period allowed researchers to build a mathematical model that showed a direct, linear relationship between fewer overnight visitors and diminished water demand. An average reduction of 24.2% in water use emerged from this analysis.
In observations from the Balearic Islands, inland water consumption for the period 2013 to 2019 averaged 133 million cubic meters annually. Given the tourism sector’s share, it is possible to compare its demand to the groundwater used for irrigation, highlighting the scale of water use tied to tourism within the archipelago.
“We all share responsibility”
Reflecting on the theme of the 2022 World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, which called for overcoming droughts together, observers emphasized collective responsibility for conserving water and soil. The call remains clear: action is needed now to prevent severe consequences for people and ecosystems worldwide.
The importance of water and sanitation is echoed in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, but it is widely acknowledged that water sits at the core of all SDGs, influencing poverty reduction, gender equality, and the protection of terrestrial ecosystems. The imperative to safeguard this vital resource and manage it responsibly is a cross-cutting priority for nations across North America and Europe alike.
The ongoing dialogue around water management emphasizes practical steps, improved monitoring, and collaboration among sectors to ensure that the benefits of tourism and agriculture do not come at the expense of water security.