Water scarcity challenges water security: a case for Spain’s freshwater ecosystems

Abstract

[eng] Water scarcity is an escalating environmental challenge, particularly in semi-arid regions likeSpain, where balancing human and ecosystem needs is critical for sustainable development.Freshwater ecosystems are vital for biodiversity, water security, and economic systems, but oftenlose protection during droughts. Spain, largely under a Mediterranean climate, shows stronginterdependence between ecological and socioeconomic systems, with agriculture, tourism, andenergy sectors heavily reliant on scarce water resources. Spain’s economy has thrived onwater-dependent activities yet increasing droughts and infrastructure limits are pushingecosystems toward collapse, with severe biodiversity loss and irreversible damage. Furthermore,investments aimed at increasing water-use efficiency often backfire, leading to expanded irrigationwithout real water savings. Climate change, urbanization, and pollution exacerbate these tensions,posing risks to public health and economic stability. Transformative strategies are urgently needed:protecting and restoring ecosystems, promoting conservation agriculture, regulatingwater-intensive industries, and planning collective responses to illegal water use. Simply increasingsupply or reacting to crises without systemic change of water demands will not ensure future watersecurity. Spain’s experience highlights the urgent need for integrated management of natural andhuman systems to preserve freshwater resources, biodiversity, and economic resilience.