Author(s): Antonio Sastre-Merlin; Eugenio Molina-Navarro; Alejandro Sanchez-Gomez; Antonio Herrera; Ana Garcia Bautista; Alejandro Cano; Silvia Martinez-Perez

Linked Author(s):

Keywords: Climate change; Ecological status; Hydrogeology; SWAT+; Water sanctuary

Abstract: The Japanese multinational group Suntory Beverage & Food has been pioneering developing in recent years special initiatives to preserve or recover those water bodies from which they use water resources or in which they are located. The goal of this initiatives is to give back to the water environment part of what was taken away during the production process, thus creating a so-called “natural water sanctuary”. In Spain, after a first initiative in Carcaixent (Valencia), the aim now is to create a new sanctuary in the infrastructures providing water to their factory in Toledo (central Spain). The Guajaraz River basin has being chosen, since it contains the homonym reservoir that supplies the factory. The basin’s granitic substrate would anticipate the absence of groundwater contribution to water resources. However, both an initial data collection and farmers communications suggested the opposite. There is also a lack of information on the water quality in the basin, particularly upstream the reservoir. In addition to these uncertainties, climate change will pose a threat to water availability in the catchment. Thus, a hydrogeological and water quality study in the catchment, as well as the application of an innovative and detailed hydrological model, have been planned to assess with robustness the present and future water availability in the Guajaraz River basin. Such studies are being set up in the framework of a process including citizen participation and collaboration of local, regional and national administrations.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/IAHR-39WC2521711920221007

Year: 2022