Tordera river basin, Spain
Case Study coordinators: Annelies Broekman and Diana Pascual; Tordera society
BeWater Impact
- High synergy with current River Basin Management Plan for the Catalan River Basin District: 20 measures from the 33 included in the adaptation plan are taken into consideration for implementation (2016-2021).
- High synergy with the Montseny Natural Park and Biosphere Reserve LIFE Tritó project: 10 measures from the BeWater project were taken into account for forest and water management to go hand in hand restoring ecosystem functionality in the Tordera headwaters.
- The experience based knowledge generated by the BeWater project is taken into account in the revision of the Catalan Strategy for Climate Change as a best practice to rise citizens’ awareness on efficient natural resource use and provide scientific information on the risks of climate change.
- Different concrete proposals raised by BeWater process in the basin are mainstreamed into Municipal Action Plans for Adaptation (e.g.St. Celoni municipality), also pursuing increased collaboration between neighbouring areas.
- Stakeholders that participated in the co-creation of the adaptation plan are pursuing the integration of the outcomes in their activities and express ownership of the plan, delivering a pro-active and fertile environment for the implementation at different scales and locations in the basin, like for example restoration of riparian vegetation or awareness raising activities.
- Different project proposals, both at European level – such as H2020 program- and at national level – such as those assigned by the Foundation for Biodiversity from the Spanish Government – are developed to implement prioritised measures, such as the creation of an Integrated Plan for the Tordera Delta.
About the river basin
Tordera River Basin is a non-regulated river basin located in the northern part of Catalonia (NE Spain). Tordera presents typical Mediterranean conditions with a high environmental diversity, ranging from the mountain tops of the headwaters to the delta area.
It is a forested river basin (81%) with 10% of the land used for agriculture, which is concentrated in the intermediate and low sections, especially in the delta plain. Industry is also present, mainly in the intermediate section. Its coastal strip presents a high demographic pressure, both seasonal and permanent.
CSRB Challenges
- Due to the effects of climate change river flows will decrease, especially in the upper parts of the Basin. Flow regime will also shift into new patterns, affecting flora and fauna of the basin.
- Humid forests in the upper part of the basin will suffer the effects of climate change. General tendencies indicate carbon uptake by forests could change its trend from being a sink into becoming a carbon source.
- Agriculture in the basin will face the effects of climate change too. Agronomic calendar changes will induce different crop and irrigation water management.
- For the people living in the basin, climatic conditions will become more uncomfortable. Higher temperatures may also increase domestic water consumption levels.
Pedieos river basin, Cyprus
Case study coordinator: Elias Giannakis; Pedieos society
BeWater Impact
- The cooperation of stakeholders from governmental and non-governmental organizations and from different sectors (water, agriculture, forestry, environment, urban planning, education) facilitated the development of a broad and diverse set of adaptation options.
- The presentation of the adaptation plan to the Committee of Environment of the Cyprus Parliament strengthened the political base for the implementation of key adaptation options.
- Selected adaptation options, e.g., green roofs for reducing flooding in urban areas in a semi-arid climate, are under pilot testing and demonstration.
- The active science-society interaction during the project’s lifetime and the dissemination of the adaptation options through various activities, e.g., educational and environmental fairs and events, as well as citizen surveys, increased climate change awareness of the general public, including that of the younger generation, thus establishing popular support for climate change adaptation.
- The active participation of stakeholders in BeWater meetings and workshops has facilitated the exchange of knowledge and cooperation. Formal and informal communication channels have been created (e.g., steering committees) within governmental departments but also between governmental departments and municipalities to implement integrated strategies for water management and climate change adaptation.
About the river basin
The Pedieos River is an ephemeral stream, which originates in the north-eastern hillsides of the Troodos mountain complex.
The river basin has its highest elevation at 1400m above sea level and covers a population of 192,000 inhabitants. The fractured volcanic formations in the upstream area are mainly covered by conifers, with smaller areas of sclerophyllous and shrub woodlands and few plots of rain-fed cereals, irrigated fruit trees, greenhouses and livestock farms.
At the bottom of the foothills, the 2.8million m3 Tamassos dam, which was completed in 2002, captures the runoff of the 45km2 upstream river basin. The dam provides groundwater recharge, flood protection and water supply for nearby communities. Downstream from the dam, the river basin crosses about half a dozen rural communities, which grow rain-fed and groundwater-irrigated crops in the Mesaoria plain.
The river then flows into the urban agglomeration of the capital Nicosia and its adjacent municipalities, exacerbating existing urban flooding incidents. The river basin covers approximately 120km2 at the green line in Nicosia, where it flows into the occupied areas of northern Cyprus. Average annual precipitation ranges between 320mm downstream to 670mm at the top. The area is covered by a number of rain gauges and meteorological stations of the Cyprus Meteorological Service; discharge has been measured in the upstream area by the Water Development Department.
More information about Pedieos
Prepared by Corrado Camera (CyI)
