Summary Editorial: Impacts of global change on groundwater in Western Mediterranean countries

Abstract

The western Mediterranean is especially sensitive to global change impacts. Climate change, population growth, urbanization and expansion of infrastructures, and land use and land cover changes are affecting the quality and quantity of groundwater resources primarily in this region characterized by frequent and severe meteorological and hydrological droughts, and a high population density. Climatic forecasts anticipate long-term regional precipitation decreases and temperature raises. The direct consequence of this over groundwater is the diminishing in springs discharge and the progressive fall of the piezometric levels. However, the anthropogenic action has also strong impacts over water systems as land use modifications and the change in recharge conditions or the increase of water demand and the variation on water abstracted from aquifers and the consequent water quality changes associated. A variety of tools and monitoring systems emerge as essential needs for society to confront the frequent current problems in the western Mediterranean and the future water challenges that are just starting to be foreseen.