The Government to Cut Water Transfer to Alicante to Enable Navigation in Tajo Reservoirs

The Tajo-Segura water transfer, valued at over a billion euros for the province of Alicante, is at serious risk of disappearing. The government of Pedro Sánchez plans to cut the water supply to Alicante to increase the ecological flow of the donor river. This water, which is more than adequately covered by the headwater reservoirs of Entrepeñas and Buendía, is intended by the Ministry of Ecological Transition to be retained in the headwater reservoirs 'for recreational use'. Less agriculture for Alicante, the Region of Murcia, and Almería in exchange for making the reservoirs navigable.

This is indicated by the technical report that the Generalitat Valenciana, the Region of Murcia, and the Junta de Andalucía, along with the Tajo-Segura Water Transfer Irrigators' Union (Scrats), have sent to the Vice President of the Government and Minister of Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, to which TodoAlicante has had access.

The 'green defence axis' announced by the President of the Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos Mazón, with the regions of Murcia and Andalucía, highlights in this report the contradictions and contraindications of the 'totally arbitrary decision by the Government of Spain' to increase the ecological flows of the Tajo to 6.8 cubic metres per second and raise the minimum for transfer to 531 cubic hectometres from the current 400. An increase of 195 cubic hectometres, almost two-thirds of what the three beneficiary provinces receive on average.

With these thresholds, the Tajo-Segura transfer would see a reduction of 135 cubic hectometres, decreasing from 328 cubic hectometres annually to 193, which represents 41.2% less water for agriculture. A fatal blow to Europe's garden, not only in economic and employment terms but also environmentally.

The transfer irrigates 41,348 hectares in the province of Alicante alone, producing 677,035 tonnes of fruits, vegetables, and horticultural products. Many of these crops would be abandoned due to lack of irrigation, leading to the loss of businesses and jobs in the horticultural sector, which accounts for 1.3% of the provincial GDP.

The Tajo basin plan approved by the Government in 2023 foresees this significant reduction in order to increase the ecological flow. This regulation has not yet been implemented as the new exploitation rules for the Tajo-Segura transfer have not been approved. This is where the Generalitat Valenciana has sent a letter to the Minister of Ecological Transition, urging her to open 'a space for technical and political dialogue to reach suitable solutions for all' before the definitive cut to the water infrastructure is certified.

'It would be essential to suspend the planned increases in ecological flows, to halt the review of the exploitation rules, to expedite the execution of the works included in the measures programme, and to promote a national water pact,' demand the Generalitat Valenciana, the Region of Murcia, and the Junta de Andalucía.