El trasvase Júcar- Vinalopó. Una respuesta a la sobreexplotación de acuíferos

Résumé

The Vinalopó-Alicante System in the province of Alicante, Spain, is a space characterized for the shortage of hydric resources but a great development of underground waters. These underground waters have allowed the water supply in most of the municipalities of the province and, at the same time, the development of a very advanced agriculture, well known for its efficiency and productivity. In order to alleviate the serious problems caused by an excessive exploitation of the underground water and to restore the former hydric balance, the Hydrologic Plan of the Jucar River in 1988, anticipated the necessity of creating an interbasin diversion from the Jucar River to the Vinalopó. This one was approved unanimously and it was declared of general interest by the State and their works were included in the Hydrologic Plan of 2001. The first works of the interbasin diversion began in 2002, with the taking placed in Cortes de Pallás. In 2005, when more than 52% of the budget was already executed, the Ministry of Environment, in a one-sided decision, changed the taking and the layout. This will have direct repercussions on the availability of the volume, the quality of the transferred water and construction and exploitation costs. Funds availability from the EU and from private sources as well as deadlines of the implementation of the infrastructure will be also affected. This decision has provoked a strong opposition in the potential consumers, gathered in the Central Meeting of Users of the Vinalopó, Alacantí and Consorcio de Aguas de la Marina Baja (JCU).