Who Manages Spain's Water Resources? The Political and Administrative Division of Water Management

Abstract

At the beginning of the 20th century, Spain introduced a pioneering system of water management by river basins, which was later endorsed by the EU Water Framework Directive. Recently, for a variety of political and administrative reasons, a number of fierce territorial disputes and debates have arisen that challenge the validity of this system. Changes have also taken place in the way water is managed, with a shift towards a more environmentally friendly approach. It is recommended that the river basin remain the basic territorial unit for any water management system, although this will require a National Water Agreement.