IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agiwat/v233y2020ics0378377419316488.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Energized water: Evolution of water-energy nexus in the Spanish irrigated agriculture, 1950–2017

Author

Listed:
  • Espinosa-Tasón, Jaime
  • Berbel, Julio
  • Gutiérrez-Martín, Carlos

Abstract

This study describes the evolution of the Spanish irrigated sector and focuses on water abstraction, water consumption, and energy use in the period 1950–2017. The analysis shows evidence of the basins reaching closure state and the impact on energy use from irrigation supply. The response in the context of an increasing water demand with a limited supply has been investment in water-saving and conservation technologies (WSCT) with the transformation of furrow-irrigated areas into those of drip and sprinkler, resulting in an increase in irrigation efficiency. The effect of this policy implies an increase in energy use by a factor of six in the period while the irrigated area triples and its water use doubles in the same period. Water abstraction reaches its peak in the year 2004 and decreases slightly as a consequence of subsidies to WSCT. The impact on energy consumption in pumping and treatment illustrates the water-energy nexus in Spain’s agriculture and the change in the water policy paradigm from supply augmentation towards demand management.

Suggested Citation

  • Espinosa-Tasón, Jaime & Berbel, Julio & Gutiérrez-Martín, Carlos, 2020. "Energized water: Evolution of water-energy nexus in the Spanish irrigated agriculture, 1950–2017," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 233(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:233:y:2020:i:c:s0378377419316488
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2020.106073
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377419316488
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agwat.2020.106073?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Molle, François & Wester, Philippus & Hirsch, Philip, 2010. "River basin closure: Processes, implications and responses," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(4), pages 569-577, April.
    2. Andrés Molina & Joaquín Melgarejo, 2016. "Water policy in Spain: seeking a balance between transfers, desalination and wastewater reuse," International Journal of Water Resources Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(5), pages 781-798, September.
    3. Teschner, Na'ama & McDonald, Adrian & Foxon, Timothy J. & Paavola, Jouni, 2012. "Integrated transitions toward sustainability: The case of water and energy policies in Israel," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 79(3), pages 457-468.
    4. Julio Berbel & Alfonso Expósito & Carlos Gutiérrez-Martín & Luciano Mateos, 2019. "Effects of the Irrigation Modernization in Spain 2002–2015," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 33(5), pages 1835-1849, March.
    5. Scott, Christopher A. & Pierce, Suzanne A. & Pasqualetti, Martin J. & Jones, Alice L. & Montz, Burrell E. & Hoover, Joseph H., 2011. "Policy and institutional dimensions of the water-energy nexus," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 6622-6630, October.
    6. Julio Berbel & M. Mesa-Jurado & Juan Pistón, 2011. "Value of Irrigation Water in Guadalquivir Basin (Spain) by Residual Value Method," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 25(6), pages 1565-1579, April.
    7. Fernández García, I. & Rodríguez Díaz, J.A. & Camacho Poyato, E. & Montesinos, P. & Berbel, J., 2014. "Effects of modernization and medium term perspectives on water and energy use in irrigation districts," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 56-63.
    8. Siddiqi, Afreen & Anadon, Laura Diaz, 2011. "The water-energy nexus in Middle East and North Africa," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(8), pages 4529-4540, August.
    9. Soto-García, M. & Martin-Gorriz, B. & García-Bastida, P.A. & Alcon, F. & Martínez-Alvarez, V., 2013. "Energy consumption for crop irrigation in a semiarid climate (south-eastern Spain)," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 1084-1093.
    10. Mushtaq, S. & Maraseni, T.N. & Reardon-Smith, K., 2013. "Climate change and water security: Estimating the greenhouse gas costs of achieving water security through investments in modern irrigation technology," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 78-89.
    11. Zaman, Khalid & Khan, Muhammad Mushtaq & Ahmad, Mehboob & Khilji, Bashir Ahmad, 2012. "The relationship between agricultural technologies and carbon emissions in Pakistan: Peril and promise," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 29(5), pages 1632-1639.
    12. Rupert Quentin Grafton, 2019. "Policy review of water reform in the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia: the “do's” and “do'nots”," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 63(1), pages 116-141, January.
    13. Zhang, Ling & Ma, Qimin & Zhao, Yanbo & Wu, Xiaobo & Yu, Wenjun, 2019. "Determining the influence of irrigation efficiency improvement on water use and consumption by conceptually considering hydrological pathways," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 674-681.
    14. Laurent Hardy & Alberto Garrido & Luis Juana, 2012. "Evaluation of Spain's Water-Energy Nexus," International Journal of Water Resources Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(1), pages 151-170.
    15. Closas, Alvar & Rap, Edwin, 2017. "Solar-based groundwater pumping for irrigation: Sustainability, policies, and limitations," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 33-37.
    16. Zaman, Khalid & Khan, Muhammad Mushtaq & Ahmad, Mehboob & Rustam, Rabiah, 2012. "The relationship between agricultural technology and energy demand in Pakistan," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 268-279.
    17. Borrego-Marín, María M. & Berbel, J., 2019. "Cost-benefit analysis of irrigation modernization in Guadalquivir River Basin," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 416-423.
    18. Mercure, J.-F. & Paim, M.A. & Bocquillon, P. & Lindner, S. & Salas, P. & Martinelli, P. & Berchin, I.I. & de Andrade Guerra, J.B.S.O & Derani, C. & de Albuquerque Junior, C.L. & Ribeiro, J.M.P. & Knob, 2019. "System complexity and policy integration challenges: The Brazilian Energy- Water-Food Nexus," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 230-243.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Fei, Rilong & Wang, Haolin & Wen, Zihao & Yuan, Zhen & Yuan, Kaihua & Chunga, Joseph, 2021. "Tracking factor substitution and the rebound effect of China’s agricultural energy consumption: A new research perspective from asymmetric response," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    2. Pronti, Andrea & Auci, Sabrina & Berbel, Julio, 2024. "Water conservation and saving technologies for irrigation. A structured literature review of econometric studies on the determinants of adoption," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 299(C).
    3. Chen Bai & Lixiao Yao & Cheng Wang & Yongxuan Zhao & Weien Peng, 2022. "Optimization of Water and Energy Spatial Patterns in the Cascade Pump Station Irrigation District," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-17, April.
    4. Carles Sanchis-Ibor & Mar Ortega-Reig & Amanda Guillem-García & Juan M. Carricondo & Juan Manzano-Juárez & Marta García-Mollá & Álvaro Royuela, 2021. "Irrigation Post-Modernization. Farmers Envisioning Irrigation Policy in the Region of Valencia (Spain)," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-21, April.
    5. Zhang, Yongqiang & Ge, Maosheng & Zhang, Qianwen & Xue, Shaopeng & Wei, Fuqiang & Sun, Hao, 2023. "What did irrigation modernization in China bring to the evolution of water-energy-greenhouse gas emissions?," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    6. Jani, Arun D. & Meadows, Taylor D. & Eckman, Megan A. & Ferrarezi, Rhuanito Soranz, 2021. "Automated ebb-and-flow subirrigation conserves water and enhances citrus liner growth compared to capillary mat and overhead irrigation methods," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 246(C).
    7. Carricondo-Antón, J.M. & Jiménez-Bello, M.A. & Manzano Juárez, J. & Royuela Tomas, A. & Sala, A., 2022. "Evaluating the use of meteorological predictions in directly pumped irrigational operations using photovoltaic energy," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 266(C).
    8. Heider, Katharina & Quaranta, Emanuele & García Avilés, José María & Rodriguez Lopez, Juan Miguel & Balbo, Andrea L. & Scheffran, Jürgen, 2022. "Reinventing the wheel – The preservation and potential of traditional water wheels in the terraced irrigated landscapes of the Ricote Valley, southeast Spain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 259(C).
    9. Duran-Ros, Miquel & Puig-Bargués, Jaume & Cufí, Sílvia & Solé-Torres, Carles & Arbat, Gerard & Pujol, Joan & Ramírez de Cartagena, Francisco, 2022. "Effect of different filter media on emitter clogging using reclaimed effluents," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 266(C).
    10. Campana, P.E. & Lastanao, P. & Zainali, S. & Zhang, J. & Landelius, T. & Melton, F., 2022. "Towards an operational irrigation management system for Sweden with a water–food–energy nexus perspective," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 271(C).
    11. Tocados-Franco, Enrique & Berbel, Julio & Expósito, Alfonso, 2023. "Water policy implications of perennial expansion in the Guadalquivir River Basin (southern Spain)," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    12. van de Loo, Maaike & Camacho Poyato, Emilio & van Halsema, Gerardo & Rodríguez Díaz, Juan Antonio, 2024. "Defining the optimization strategy for solar energy use in large water distribution networks: A case study from the Valle Inferior irrigation system, Spain," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    13. Julio Berbel & Jaime Espinosa-Tasón, 2020. "La gestión del regadío ante la escasez del agua," Studies on the Spanish Economy eee2020-34, FEDEA.
    14. Pronti, A. & Zegarra, E. & Vicario, D. Rey & Graves, A., 2024. "Global exports draining local water resources: Land concentration, food exports and water grabbing in the Ica Valley (Peru)," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Daniel Sklarew & Jennifer Sklarew, 2018. "Integrated Water-Energy Policy for Sustainable Development," Foresight and STI Governance (Foresight-Russia till No. 3/2015), National Research University Higher School of Economics, vol. 12(4), pages 10-19.
    2. Li, Xian & Yang, Lili & Zheng, Heran & Shan, Yuli & Zhang, Zongyong & Song, Malin & Cai, Bofeng & Guan, Dabo, 2019. "City-level water-energy nexus in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C), pages 827-834.
    3. Julio Berbel & Alfonso Expósito & Carlos Gutiérrez-Martín & Luciano Mateos, 2019. "Effects of the Irrigation Modernization in Spain 2002–2015," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 33(5), pages 1835-1849, March.
    4. White, David J. & Hubacek, Klaus & Feng, Kuishuang & Sun, Laixiang & Meng, Bo, 2018. "The Water-Energy-Food Nexus in East Asia: A tele-connected value chain analysis using inter-regional input-output analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 550-567.
    5. Mumtaz, Rehma & Zaman, Khalid & Sajjad, Faiza & Lodhi, Muhammad Saeed & Irfan, Muhammad & Khan, Imran & Naseem, Imran, 2014. "Modeling the causal relationship between energy and growth factors: Journey towards sustainable development," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 353-365.
    6. Yang, Jin & Chen, Bin, 2016. "Energy–water nexus of wind power generation systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 1-13.
    7. Okadera, Tomohiro & Geng, Yong & Fujita, Tsuyoshi & Dong, Huijuan & Liu, Zhu & Yoshida, Noboru & Kanazawa, Takaaki, 2015. "Evaluating the water footprint of the energy supply of Liaoning Province, China: A regional input–output analysis approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 148-157.
    8. Jin, Yi & Tang, Xu & Feng, Cuiyang & Höök, Mikael, 2017. "Energy and water conservation synergy in China: 2007–2012," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 206-215.
    9. Khan, Zarrar & Linares, Pedro & García-González, Javier, 2017. "Integrating water and energy models for policy driven applications. A review of contemporary work and recommendations for future developments," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 1123-1138.
    10. Karimov, Akmal Kh. & Smakhtin, Vladimir & Karimov, Aziz A. & Khodjiev, Khalim & Yakubov, Sadyk & Platonov, Alexander & Avliyakulov, Mirzaolim, 2018. "Reducing the energy intensity of lift irrigation schemes of Northern Tajikistan- potential options," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 2967-2975.
    11. Tocados-Franco, Enrique & Berbel, Julio & Expósito, Alfonso, 2023. "Water policy implications of perennial expansion in the Guadalquivir River Basin (southern Spain)," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    12. Ding, Tao & Liang, Liang & Zhou, Kaile & Yang, Min & Wei, Yuqi, 2020. "Water-energy nexus: The origin, development and prospect," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 419(C).
    13. Seijger, Chris & Hellegers, Petra, 2023. "How do societies reform their agricultural water management towards new priorities for water, agriculture, and the environment?," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    14. Lee, Mengshan & Keller, Arturo A. & Chiang, Pen-Chi & Den, Walter & Wang, Hongtao & Hou, Chia-Hung & Wu, Jiang & Wang, Xin & Yan, Jinyue, 2017. "Water-energy nexus for urban water systems: A comparative review on energy intensity and environmental impacts in relation to global water risks," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 589-601.
    15. Mounir, Adil & Mascaro, Giuseppe & White, Dave D., 2019. "A metropolitan scale analysis of the impacts of future electricity mix alternatives on the water-energy nexus," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    16. Duan, Cuncun & Chen, Bin, 2020. "Driving factors of water-energy nexus in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    17. Duan, Cuncun & Chen, Bin, 2017. "Energy–water nexus of international energy trade of China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 725-734.
    18. Sharifzadeh, Mahdi & Hien, Raymond Khoo Teck & Shah, Nilay, 2019. "China’s roadmap to low-carbon electricity and water: Disentangling greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from electricity-water nexus via renewable wind and solar power generation, and carbon capture and sto," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C), pages 31-42.
    19. Fan, Jing-Li & Kong, Ling-Si & Zhang, Xian, 2018. "Synergetic effects of water and climate policy on energy-water nexus in China: A computable general equilibrium analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 308-317.
    20. Cai, Jialiang & Yin, He & Varis, Olli, 2016. "Impacts of industrial transition on water use intensity and energy-related carbon intensity in China: A spatio-temporal analysis during 2003–2012," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 1112-1122.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:233:y:2020:i:c:s0378377419316488. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agwat .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.