Abstract
The Mediterranean is an area where the balance between water demand and abstractions vs. water availability is often under stress already, as demonstrated here with the Water Exploitation Index. In this work, model estimates on how different proposed measures for water resources management would affect different indicators. After a review of the current water resources status in the Mediterranean and the definition of indicators used in this study, aspects interlinked with water in the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus are briefly discussed, focusing on problems linked with water scarcity and depletion of groundwater resources as well as with climate change projections. Subsequently, the proposed measures for water efficiency are detailed—irrigation efficiency, urban water efficiency, water reuse and desalination—that might be effective to reduce the growing water scarcity problems in the Mediterranean. Their effects that result from the LISFLOOD model, show that wastewater reuse, desalination and water supply leakage reduction lead to decreased abstractions, but do not affect net water consumption. Increased irrigation efficiency does decrease consumption and reduces abstractions as well. We deduct however that the current envisaged water efficiency measures might not be sufficient to keep up with the pace of diminishing water availability due to climate change. More ambition is needed on water efficiency in the Mediterranean to keep water scarcity at bay.
Highlights
The Mediterranean region has already long been recognized as a region where water resources are limited by the climate
This paper aims to provide insight in some of the current water resources problems focusing on the Mediterranean—as a Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem Nexus (WEFE) hotspot in Europe, with areas of groundwater depletion, and rivers with low flow issues
Thereafter, we describe possible measures in the field of agriculture and energy that might reduce water scarcity and would help to adapt to the changing water resources, and we demonstrate their effects on water resources in the Mediterranean
Summary
The Mediterranean region has already long been recognized as a region where water resources are limited by the climate. Already in their “Blue Plan—Futures for the Mediterranean Basin” Grenon and Batisse (1989) stated that “solutions (for inland waters) are rather well known” and “adaptations” would be “necessary sooner or later.”. They warned to “closely follow the consequences of the trend toward a heating up of the climate due to the greenhouse effect,” already more than three decades ago (1989!). The “Blue Plan” recognized the interconnections between climate, soils, water constraints, the energy sector, agriculture, demographics and economics
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