AL HILO DEL MAR DULCE: LAGHI ARTIFICIALI, NUOVE VOCAZIONI E SFIDE LUNGO IL BACINO DEL FIUME GUADIANA

Abstract

At the edge of the mar dulce: artificial lakes, new vocations and challenges along the Guadiana river basin. – The effects of the climate crisis on hydrographic systems, both superficial and underground, are now undeniable, with the incessant succession of prolonged droughts and catastrophic floods. The recent evolution of water governance in Extremadura, one of the European regions most affected by the effects of the climate crisis, is a relevant case study that allows stimulating reflections on today's hydro-social dynamics in the face of the worrying reduction in fresh water supplies. The Rio Guadiana basin was involved late in the process of hydraulic modernization which aimed at the renewal of Iberian agriculture. The pre-eminent irrigation purpose is associated with the production of electricity and the containment of floods. Added to this multifunctionality is the consolidation of a growing tourist presence along the banks of these mares dulces. But an arid nightmare is humiliating the dignity of Iberian hydrography.