Voluntary agreements to promote the use of reclaimed water at tordera river basin

Abstract

The voluntary agreement to promote the use of reclaimed water is an economic policy instrument (EPI) which focuses on improving water management by using reclaimed water. Following a win-win strategy, this EPI was implemented in the Tordera river basin (Spain), an area with endemic water scarcity problems and high competition among users for water resources. The assessment of the EPI suggests that significant positive outcomes have achieved from an environmental and economic point of view. Thus, the demand of freshwater has decreased and the availability of water is guaranteed even during summer period allowing therefore for the maintenance of economic activities (agriculture and golf course) and for reducing overexploitation of aquifers. The social acceptance of the use of reclaimed water and the institutional framework (regulation and previous experiences) were two key factors for the success of this EPI.