Ana Arahuetes

• University of Alicante

The lack of attention to the social, political, economic and cultural dimensions of water conflicts and water policies has led to the production of the hydrosocial cycle framework since the beginning of the new century. This concept understands water as a socionatural hybrid formed as a result of the interrelationships between water flows and socia...

The lack of attention to the social, political, economic and cultural dimensions of water conflicts and water policies has led to the production of the hydrosocial cycle framework since the beginning of the new century (Bakker 2002, Budds 2008, Linton 2010, Swyngedouw 2004, 2009). This concept understands water as a socionatural hybrid formed as a...

Desalination for sustaining agricultural production is conceived as an alternative water source in some Mediterranean countries faced with climatological and hydrological constraints. Although high costs are often cited as limiting factors, how farmers discern desalinated water has not been discussed in-depth in the literature. This paper aims to d...

Although desalination water cost and quality standards have been widely studied, less attention has been paid to understanding how desalination plant managers and irrigation communities interact to address water scarcity. This paper aims to approach these questions from experience in Alicante and Murcia (Spain). Two specific questionnaires have bee...

Water-related hazards such as water scarcity may be mitigated by considering interbasin and intersectoral transfers of freshwater, and by promoting the use of non-conventional water resources. This paper deepens on key driving factors able to define the benefits and barriers of a water exchange among agricultural and urban-tourism activities as a m...

Changes in weather pattern caused by climate change generate more frequent extreme rain events as well as droughts. Sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) are useful adaptations to this new reality. The paper surveys the use of these systems in other countries in relation to their use in Spain, particularly the Spanish Mediterranean region. Ther...

Wastewater treatment and the generation of recycled water for eventual reuse are raising important expectations worldwide as a resource of interest to solve future water needs. In this review, we first acknowledge the important technical advances made in relation to wastewater treatment although we also point out some of the current challenges face...

The Spanish Mediterranean region has been affected by several factors over the years (climatic conditions of aridity, high water demands, rapid and intense urban and population growth, climate change), that have generated a negative water balance whereby water resources are unable to meet the demand. Diversifying supply sources by resorting to new...

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) have become a key tool in the design of water sensitive cities, due to their capacity to store and attenuate surface water, and to treat runoff. SuDS implementation requires a complex alignment of planning frameworks, engineering designs, construction practices, maintenance processes, community buy-in and ownersh...

The need to find new sources of water due to the climatic conditions of certain areas of Spain, as well as the increasing urban tourism and agricultural demands, and in addition to the foreseen scenarios as a result of climate change, have led to the use of non-conventional resources, such as desalination. Although the Canary Islands already resort...

The heterogeneity of governance and management models of municipal water supply in the Spanish Mediterranean coastline has increased in recent decades. This diversity is explained by the increase of private companies responsible for the management of the local water service and the presence of supramunicipal public entities responsible for water ca...

Flood damage results in economic and environmental losses in the society, but flood prevention also entails an initial investment in infrastructure. This study presents an integrated eco-efficiency approach for assessing flood prevention and avoided damage. We focused on ephemeral streams in the Maresme region (Catalonia, Spain), which is an urbani...

La costa mediterránea española ha necesitado introducir, durante la última década, nuevas fuentes de suministro hídrico con el fin de satisfacer la creciente demanda. Partiendo de esta situación, este estudio tiene entre sus objetivos evidenciar las características del ciclo hidrosocial en la ciudad de Torrevieja y, a partir de este análisis, poner...

The reuse of treated wastewater is an alternative and sustainable source to attend agricultural, urban and leisure demands. In addition, their use frees better quality water resources to ensure priority uses, such as urban tourism. In regions with high vulnerability to droughts and water scarcity problems, such as Murcia and Valencia, reuse of recl...