Ranera et al. (2026) Adapting irrigated agriculture to water transfer reductions: Challenges and strategies in southeastern Spain

Identification

• Journal: Agricultural Water Management
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-29
• Authors: Cintya Villacorta Ranera, Irene Blanco‐Gutiérrez, Alvar Escriva‐Bou, Paloma Esteve
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110827

Research Groups

• Department of Agricultural Economics, Statistics and Business Management, ETSIAAB, Universidad Polit´ecnica de Madrid
• Centro de Estudios e Investigaci´on para la Gesti´on de Riesgos Agrarios y Medioambientales (CEIGRAM), Universidad Polit´ecnica de Madrid
• Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis

Short Summary

This study examines the effects of a 40% reduction in the Tagus-Segura water transfer on irrigated agriculture in southeastern Spain. The results indicate that alternative water sources, such as desalinated and reclaimed water, can partially mitigate these losses.

Objective

• To assess the impacts of reduced water transfers on irrigated agriculture in the Campo de Cartagena region.
• To evaluate the feasibility of non-conventional water resources (NCW) as a mitigation strategy for future transfer reductions.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Regional scale, focusing on the Campo de Cartagena Irrigation Community (CRCC) in southeastern Spain.
• Temporal Scale: Long-term perspective, with a focus on 2027 and beyond.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Positive Mathematical Programming (PMP)
• Data sources: Secondary data from various sources, including crop yield, area, and price; labor requirements; basic payment; water source availability; water source prices; and water source salinity.

Main Results

• A 40% reduction in the TST leads to a 28% decline in overall water use.
• Increased NCW supplies can partially mitigate these effects, but at a higher cost.
• Constrained alternative water sources lead to increased reliance on desalinated water and reduced groundwater use.
• Reduced price for desalinated water increases its use and farm profits.
• Full cost recovery for NCW reduces its use and leads to decreased farm profits.

Contributions

• This study provides a quantitative assessment of the feasibility, trade-offs, and limitations of relying on NCW to mitigate the effects of reduced inter-basin transfers.
• The results offer evidence on farmers’ adaptive responses and the associated economic and resource-use outcomes.

Funding

• This research was funded by projects and programs from various institutions, including the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food (MAGRAMA), the Regional Government of Murcia (Gobierno de la Región de Murcia), and the European Union's Horizon 2020 program.

Citation

@article{Ranera2026Adapting,
  author = {Ranera, Cintya Villacorta and Blanco‐Gutiérrez, Irene and Escriva‐Bou, Alvar and Esteve, Paloma},
  title = {Adapting irrigated agriculture to water transfer reductions: Challenges and strategies in southeastern Spain},
  journal = {Agricultural Water Management},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110827},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110827}
}