New phase in hydrological planning 2028-2033: citizen participation

Hydrological planning is an essential tool for sustainable water management in Spain. Its main purpose is to achieve good status and adequate protection of public water resources, while ensuring the balanced satisfaction of water demands and the harmonisation of regional and sectoral development.

The process of reviewing hydrological plans aims to increase the availability of the resource, protect its quality, promote its efficient use and rationalise its exploitation, all in line with environmental protection and the preservation of natural resources. Another of the objectives of planning is to help mitigate the effects of floods and droughts.

In short, they are key instruments for reconciling human, economic and environmental needs, ensuring that water management contributes to sustainable development and the conservation of our ecosystems.

Hydrological plans are generally reviewed every six years, with the third cycle of hydrological planning (2022 to 2027) currently in force. Each of the reviews must serve to update water policies in each political river basin.

The fourth cycle of water planning (2028-2033) for the various river basins is currently under review, with the first milestone of the process, the public consultation on the initial documents, having been completed.

Citizen participation is essential in the process of drawing up and reviewing hydrological plans, a participation recognised as a guiding principle of water management that will soon be implemented through a new public consultation process, now called the ‘Outline of Important Issues’ (ETI, its Spanish acronym), a key document for identifying the main challenges in water management, which will serve as the basis for the formation of future river basin management plans.

In this context, the Outline of Important Issues opens up a new opportunity for the participation of the various sectors directly or indirectly linked to water management – public administrations, users, economic operators, environmental organisations and the general public – who are called upon to make observations and proposals that will contribute to building the water planning of the future. Sectors in which water is a key resource for the development of their economic activity have a responsibility to anticipate future needs by providing the reasons for having it available in the conditions required.