To commemorate World Water Day 2021, Aguas del Arco Mediterráneo (Agamed) has gathered in a webinar organised together with the iambiente.es platform in which the importance of water has been discussed based on the example of Torrevieja. Different sectors have shown their needs, the evolution in consumption and its management in order to understand its importance.

Gemma Cruz, as deputy manager of Agamed, recalled that the "indispensable nature" of water makes it more valuable, "in an area with high water stress". This is why it is necessary to value the actions that care for this resource. In his case, the fight against climate change, the protection of biodiversity and the change towards a circular economy. These three axes, he pointed out, "always have people at the centre".

How is Agamed applying them? The elimination of phytosanitary products and pesticides, initiatives to put an end to invasive species, plus reforestation and environmental volunteering are examples that are being applied in Torrevieja. The other aspect he has highlighted is the work to "guarantee access to water for the most vulnerable". This work has been achieved by "making agreements to regulate aid, which we increased in the economic crisis that led to this pandemic" and with the "extension to other groups such as SMEs in commerce and hospitality or large families".

Digitalisation, now even more fundamental

To carry out all these actions, Jorge Ballesta is clear that the "tools cannot be from the last century". The Agamed manager considers that "digitalisation is fundamental" in this regard. Thus, he has listed what it means to apply it in all phases of the work to "have this first-hand information in real time as far as possible and to make decisions". A commitment that has been particularly valuable during these months of the pandemic with teleworking. "As an essential service, we have tried to make as much progress as possible, thanks to our colleagues at Dinapsis and Labaqua," he said.

These collaborations have given Agamed access to solutions such as City Sentinel, which assesses the presence of the coronavirus in wastewater. "This has allowed us to help the local administration to make decisions on public health", he stressed. And on these alliances, he emphasised the need to take it to other areas. Whether for a "sustainable, resilient and green" tourism, or to "launch initiatives that make the municipality grow and advance as quickly as possible that recovery".

Water and land

And if it was a question of talking about the importance of water, the most emphatic in his opening speech was Pepe Andújar. The president of the irrigation community Riegos de Levante Margen derecha del segura made this clear. "Without water we would not exist". In his speeches, he placed special emphasis on the great change experienced in the city thanks to the arrival of the Tajo-Segura water transfer in 1979. "Imagine that in the 70s we used the bathtub as a reserve because the water was cut off during the day", he said, "then the water was from a well and scarce". Compared to that precariousness "forty-odd years ago - not so long ago - we couldn't live on our land. The aqueduct solved part of it".

Francisco Martínez also knows about the land. As director of the natural parks in the south of Alicante, he has agreed with Andújar on its importance as the origin of life. And from there, the value it brings to the territory. Although this has not always been taken care of. "In the last hundred years, 70% of Spain's wetlands have disappeared," he lamented. This is why he emphasised the importance of these areas, "which are very important for the water cycle".

An importance that, as he criticised, is not taken into account "if it does not translate into money". He gave examples of this in terms of stopping the intensity of the rainfall that allows the species that grow in them or channelling them to avoid greater damage. "These are values that are not traded on any market. In general, this natural capital is not reflected in our economy". And that is why he points out that "many owners of this natural capital want to transform it into productive activities that do have a market value".

The fight against disease

Having access to clean water and adequate sanitation is natural for us, but not for 40% of the world's 7.7 billion people. "Having it is a determining factor in people's health," said Antonio Tafalla, a doctor. Through these and other figures, he reminded us of the drama that these deficiencies represent. And although some diseases or infections may seem distant, he pointed out, others are closer to us. This is the case of food poisoning due to a lack of hygiene, the most common in our environment. "The function of public health is to prevent the transmission of diseases and to advise on the guidelines given by the WHO," he said.

Sustainable tourism

Rosario Martínez and Eduardo Dolón are well acquainted with the management of the local administration. The former, as deputy mayor of Torrevieja and delegate of tourism, has started with the consumption that is made from this area worldwide, 1%. "And it would be necessary to put in value in Torrevieja access to drinking water in the entire municipality," he said.

The reason for this is to be found in "the growth in the last 30 years in a very rapid and extensive manner". In fact, the difference in population between the high and low season "is enormous, as we have gone from around 85,000 inhabitants to more than 300,000 in summer". For this reason, he stressed the work of Agamed. So that "Torrevieja is a tourist destination with a very efficient drinking water system, which manages to successfully meet those consumption peaks that occur during the holiday period". Compared to the problems of the past that Andújar mentioned, "today we can boast that there is easy access all year round".

Tourists who come to this tourist capital are not only looking for drinking water, they are also looking for the marina. "We are an international tourist destination and we can boast of working to achieve quality standards on our beaches," reasoned Martínez. The proof of this would be the six blue flags awarded to the municipality from Europe to those who meet the correct environmental obligations.

Everyone's conscience

This compliance is a task that affects everyone. Hence the mayor of the city, Eduardo Dolon, has stressed that "today, more than ever, we have to be able to generate greater social awareness to take care of it". From his position, he is responsible for this global vision of a cycle that includes tourism, agriculture, health and the environment. And for this reason, he has reviewed each of these areas "to highlight the value of making good use of this scarce resource".

Dolón emphasised the work done in the countryside. "In our region, the Vega Baja, a large part of our economy comes from agriculture. We are probably one of the regions, one of the axes within the Valencian Community, where we have the best infrastructures for using every drop of water". From this point on, the question is simple: what do we do? And the answer lies in work.

That work, as he pointed out, is what made it possible, with the arrival of Agamed, to forget the need to have tanks in homes to deal with supply cuts. "It arrived and not only put this precious asset into operation, but also instilled in us that we have to value its use every day". Another example of this work is that all the wastewater is reused, "it is an example of how to manage it correctly".

(source iambiente.es)