Characterization of the Agricultural Supply of Desalinated Seawater in Southeastern Spain

Victoriano Martínez-Alvarez,Bernardo Martin-Gorriz,Belén Gallego-Elvira,Manuel J González-Ortega,Jose F Maestre-Valero

doi:10.3390/w11061233

Victoriano Martínez-Alvarez, Bernardo Martin-Gorriz + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/w11061233

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Journal: Water	Publication Date: Jun 13, 2019
Citations: 49	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena

Abstract

The increasing shortage of water for crop irrigation in arid and semiarid regions is encouraging the use of non-conventional resources. In the last decade, seawater desalination has consolidated its position as an alternative source to increase the supply for agricultural irrigation in Spain and Israel, where the farmers’ acceptance is progressively rising, despite the supply price being much higher than that of other conventional water sources. This article describes the current situation of desalinated seawater production and supply to agriculture in the southeast of Spain, and analyzes key questions such as its role in regional water planning, the infrastructure needed for conveyance and distribution, the energy requirements, the production and distribution costs, and the final price to farmers. The study is based on descriptive and quantitative data collected from desalination plants and irrigation district managers through technical questionnaires and personal interviews. The results show how seawater desalination is effectively alleviating the regional constraints in the irrigated agriculture supply, and why it is becoming strategic to maintaining food production and socioeconomic development. However, the high-energy requirements and associated costs in comparison with other water sources limit a more widespread use for agriculture, and for this reason desalinated water still only plays a complementary role in most irrigation districts.

Highlights

Population growth, economic, social and urban development, and, especially, the development of irrigated agriculture in response to the growing demand for food, are the main drivers of the water demand increase in Mediterranean countries [1]
Irrigated agriculture is the sector that is most affected by water scarcity, as it currently accounts for 70% of global freshwater withdrawals and more than 90% of consumptive use [4]
The irrigation districts that receive water from these seawater desalination plants (SWDPs) grow high-return crops such as greenhouse vegetables, winter vegetables in the open field and citrus orchards. This gives a total area of 172,000 ha; this figure is lower than the surface sum in Table 1 since some of the irrigation districts are supplied by several SWDPs

Summary

Introduction

Population growth, economic, social and urban development, and, especially, the development of irrigated agriculture in response to the growing demand for food, are the main drivers of the water demand increase in Mediterranean countries [1]. In spite of the high-energy requirements and associated costs in comparison with other water sources, which still limit its widespread use, the complementary role of DSW supply for crop irrigation is contributing to maintain food production in many irrigation districts in SE Spain. It is enabling the farming of high-return crops, for which highly effective water use and farming technologies have already been implemented, and thereby ensuring the regional socioeconomic prosperity

Water Management in the Study Region

Sources of Information

Desalinated Seawater Production and Supply to Agriculture

Energy Consumption of DSW for Agriculture

Costs of DSW Supply to Agriculture

Price of DSW Supply to Farmers

Conclusions