The Spanish Programme of Improvement and Modernisation of Traditional Irrigation Systems - Water and Agriculture: Sustainability, Markets and Policies - page 165

Chapter 12.
The Spanish Programme of Improvement and Modernisation
of Traditional Irrigation Systems

Pablo Pindado 1

The need for the improvement and modernisation of Spanish irrigated areas is easily
understood when some of their technical characteristics are taken into account. One of
them gives a good idea of the problem: one third of the Spanish irrigated area is more
than a century old. The improvement and modernisation programme attempts to correct
this situation, which burdens the competitiveness of the irrigated agriculture and causes
environmental concerns, and this programme aims to upgrade irrigation schemes and
increase the irrigation efficiency up to 70%. Other objectives are water savings,
upgrading technologies, decreasing diffuse pollution, improving farmers' quality of
life … To carry out such a programme, a great effort of co-ordination and co-operation
among public administrations and stakeholders has been expended. This effort has led to
a high state of implementation at present.

Introduction

Irrigation is the main user of water in Spain: 23 000 hm 3 /year. This represents nearly
70% of the water used in the state and 50% of the water kept in reservoirs and dams. The
Spanish area with irrigation infrastructure is nearly 4 million ha (9.88 million acres).
Approximately 3.3 million ha (8.2 million acres) of that is irrigated on average each year,
this is roughly 1% of the arable area, and this produces about 60% of the whole
agricultural output. This means that the Spanish irrigated agriculture provides six times
more income than dry-land agriculture.
The Spanish programme of “Improvement and Modernisation of the Traditional
Irrigation Systems” is one of the five 2 programmes included in the National Irrigation
Plan. This plan, carried out by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food,
analysed 3 the situation (water demand, water supply, conveyance systems, irrigation

1. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Madrid, Spain.

2. Improvement and Modernisation, Infrastructure in Irrigation Bodies into Execution, New

Infrastructure for Social Purposes, New Infrastructure in Private Irrigators Communities, Support
Programme.

3. Sixty-three per cent of the irrigated land was studied.