The co-evolution of collective groundwater management: understanding the interdependencies between users-based organizations, remote sensing and state agency support in the La Mancha Oriental Aquifer, Spain

[EN] Groundwater governance is a challenge in most arid and semi-arid areas of the world. In many aquifers, groundwater extraction exceeds natural recharge, leading to steady aquifer declines with negative consequences for the social, agricultural and ecological systems that depend on these aquifers...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Hoogesteger, Jaime, Laan, Marco, ter Horst, Rozemarijn, Calera, Alfonso, González-Piqueras, José, Sanchis Ibor, Carles|||0000-0002-8795-2922
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
Repositorio:RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:riunet______::4a1d4318b8cf67b5ed46b497f1a879c1
Acceso en línea:https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/235057
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Groundwater
Governance
Remote sensing
User-based aquifer management
Spain
06.- Garantizar la disponibilidad y la gestión sostenible del agua y el saneamiento para todos
Descripción
Sumario:[EN] Groundwater governance is a challenge in most arid and semi-arid areas of the world. In many aquifers, groundwater extraction exceeds natural recharge, leading to steady aquifer declines with negative consequences for the social, agricultural and ecological systems that depend on these aquifers. In this article we analyze how in the semi-arid the La Mancha Eastern Aquifer, Spain, organized groundwater users, in close collaboration with knowledge institutes and water authorities, have developed a governance system that ensures aquifer sustainability. Our analysis shows that the use of tempo-spatially explicit data generated through remote sensing technologies co-evolved with the development of a user-based groundwater management institution, and a state agency support framework into an effective co-governance approach for regulating groundwater use in the agricultural sector. This research highlights the importance of socio-technical co-creation for the establishment of effective groundwater governance systems that build on, and are embedded in, user-based organizations that are supported by an enabling institutional environment.