The Spanish Programme of Improvement and Modernisation of Traditional Irrigation Systems - Water and Agriculture: Sustainability, Markets and Policies - page 168

Environment

There are two main water sources for irrigation purposes in Spain: surface water
(75% of the volume) and groundwater (25%). There are other sources, but they are not
relevant in terms of volume: water transfers between basins, return flows, water
depuration, and desalination. The last two sources are not important in volume, but very
important as new ways to provide irrigation water. In specific zones like the east of Spain
(arid) or the Spanish islands, these sources become more important.
Regarding the aquifers, some are over-exploited, so it is necessary to improve the
efficiency of the irrigated areas that abstract water from them.
It is expected that in 2008 the water saving will be around 1 250 hm 3 /year. This is
10% of the water used in irrigation agriculture.
The rationalisation in the water used on-farm will reduce the use of inputs like
fertilisers or pesticides, and in the long-term, reduce diffuse pollution.

Implementation of the Programme

The Spanish Programme of Improvement and Modernisation of Irrigation Systems is
implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the regional
governments and the farmers (grouped in irrigation districts).
Two of the main characteristics of the National Irrigation Plan are co-ordination and
co-operation . In the first phase, the ministry and the regional governments worked
together drawing up this plan, taking farmers' demands into account. With regard to the
Improvement and Modernisation Programme, the farmers, who are grouped in irrigation
districts, are fully involved in the programme at different levels: they are the target, they
design improved irrigation projects and they co-finance the investment.
This point, the co-financing of the investment, is a key factor in terms of involving
the farmers in the modernisation of their irrigation districts and farms. It is agreed that
50% of the investment (the project budget) is financed by public administrations
(Ministry or Regional Governments, and also EU funds) and farmers pay 6 the remaining
50%. It is important to note that the Improvement and Modernisation Programme does
not affect farms, but is focussed on the different parts of the irrigation district owned by
the farmer association as a corporate body. This means that farmers must invest also in
their irrigation application systems, to be able to take advantage of the improved
irrigation conveyance and network. The farmers' co-responsibility is a main goal in the
programme.
To manage this programme, four state-owned companies have been created, each one
working in a specific area of the Country (south, middle and east, northeast, northwest).
These companies work at several levels: they conclude agreements with irrigation
districts, they design irrigation projects 7 based on these contracts, they are in charge of the
construction of the projects, they recover the investment from farmers, and they provide
technical support and advice to the irrigation districts.

6.

Using long-term loans and other facilities.

7. In some cases, the irrigation project is designed by farmers' associations.