Policía sanitaria y problemática de los arrozales y humedales del litoral valenciano: estudio histórico-jurídico

Abstract

Since time immemorial, wetlands have been classified by the legislator as unhealthy and unproductive areas, which is why they were drained and conditioned for agricultural use, especially for rice farming. However, due to the natural similarities of these unique ecosystems with rice fields, in terms of the proliferation of infectious epidemics, it became necessary to adopt urgent measures of prevention, control and sanitary police throughout the Modern Age and the 19th century, and this was reflected in a lengthy collection of legislation. In the particular case of the Valencian coastline, dominated by vast areas of wetlands, important measures were established for collective health at the cost of the massive draining of wetlands and the establishment of strong administrative control over rice cultivation