Spain is affected by several water risks related to intensive irrigated agriculture and massive urbanisation. The Mar Menor (located in the Region of Murcia,) the largest hypersaline coastal lagoon of the Mediterranean basin, has faced multiple water-related challenges, including water pollution, eutrophication and over-extraction of groundwater, which have led to its ecological and environmental degradation. The intensive agriculture developed since the 1970s in the surrounding areas supported by the Tagus-Segura water transfer and groundwater pumping, combined with poor water management practices, have led to the contamination of groundwater and surface waters eventually flowing into the lagoon. Additionally, the massive and uncontrolled urbanisation in the area increases environmental pressure due to the poor wastewater management and the loss of natural habitats. Climate change is also exacerbating floods and droughts, which are affecting water availability in the area. The real state and agricultural sectors have been the main drivers of the Region of Murcia’s economic development, allowing the emergence of a major regional lobby. However, the consequences of the environmental degradation of the lagoon on the local tourist economy have recently encouraged an important civil society mobilisation, leading to strong political rivalries between the conservative regional government and the progressive national government. Environmental issues and water management approaches related to these socio-economic dynamics are being addressed in Spain by the different political parties and policy-makers in different ways depending on their ideologies and according to their local or national priorities. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to assess the geopolitical risks of the Mar Menor as an example of an environmental and economic crisis but also of a geopolitical one because it involves multiple stakeholders with divergent interests, representations and strategies.

Darío Salinas Palacios
CEO Cassini Spain – Associate researcher (French Institut of Geopolitics)

 
ID Abstract: 607