Water security has become a central concern for regions and sectors highly dependent on water, both in Southern Europe and Latin America. In recent years, rainfall scarcity, increased demand, and the impact of climate change have made sustainable water resource management a political, economic, and social priority.
Spain and Chile stand out among the territories that have intensified their actions to strengthen water security, especially in areas exposed to population pressure, agricultural activity, tourism and extreme phenomena such as droughts or floods.
Strengthening water security on the Costa del Sol
The expansion of the Marbella desalination plant marks a milestone for the Costa del Sol, an area whose population swells considerably in the summer and which has suffered restrictions and water cuts resulting from one of the worst droughts in its recent history. Thanks to an investment of eight million euros, the plant has recovered its maximum capacity of 20 cubic hectometers per year, covering between 15% and 20% of the total water demand in the region.
This project is part of an ambitious regional plan that foresees nearly €2.000 billion in investments between 2019 and 2025 to modernize infrastructure, increase the production of reclaimed and desalinated water, and improve the efficiency of distribution networks. In Málaga alone, 39 projects have already been completed and another seven are underway, totaling more than €270 million.
The goal is ambitious: to reach 160 cubic hectometers of desalinated water by 2027 and more than double the regeneration capacity to 180 cubic hectometers. Andalusia has already quadrupled its reclaimed water production since 2019. The initiatives also include new sanitation infrastructure, the expansion of the RÃo Verde Drinking Water Treatment Plant, and the development of a future desalination plant for the AxarquÃa region.
Collaboration between administrations and adaptation to demographic pressure, tourism and the impact of climate set the roadmap to guarantee economic development and the well-being of the population without compromising the environmental balance.
Benidorm and Marina Baixa: planning, innovation and reuse
Integrated water management has given Benidorm a water efficiency of 95%, higher than the national average, based on sustainable water collection, monitoring and digitalization, wastewater treatment, and reuse. In fact, 36% of the treated water is used for irrigation and street cleaning, preventing waste and promoting a circular economy and technological innovation.
The Benidorm model relies on a collaborative network between the Water Consortium, Hidraqua, the University of Alicante, and regional authorities, with recent investments to modernize the wastewater treatment plant and participate in the development of a Reclaimed Water Master Plan. Regional planning and the interconnection of resources, along with the reuse and digitalization of the water cycle, are considered essential to guarantee security and resilience in the face of droughts or seasonal increases in demand.
Water management and challenges in Chile: uneven availability and stress
Chile faces a highly unequal distribution of water resources: 75% of the available water is concentrated in the south, while the central and northern regions have barely 1%. According to a report by the Center for Climate Science and Resilience (CR2), water use has grown significantly in recent decades, particularly in mining in the north, irrigated agriculture in the south-central region, and rainfed agriculture and forestry in the south.
Water stress is increasingly evident in central basins, where unsustainable groundwater use and a significant gap in access to drinking water in rural areas are being observed. Projections for the end of the 21st century anticipate even greater pressure on availability, exacerbated by decreased rainfall and rising temperatures.
Water governance in Chile has advanced in instruments and regulations, such as the Framework Law on Climate Change and the Adaptation Plan for the Water Resources Sector, but experts highlight the need to strengthen institutional collaboration and planning based on scientific evidence to guarantee water security and resilience against threats such as drought, floods and pollution.
The water stress index has exceeded 100% in some basins over the past decade, indicating overexploitation. The impacts affect rural development, public health, and ecosystems, and demand investments in innovation, efficiency, and inclusive policies that ensure social equity in access to water resources.
Innovation, coordination and partnerships as drivers of water change
The common trend in the regions most affected by scarcity and population pressure is to invest in new technologies, modernize networks, and focus on circularity and the integration of non-conventional resources, such as reclaimed or desalinated water.
The role of professional and scientific associations is fundamental. Through congresses, forums, and sectoral meetings, they foster the exchange of knowledge and experiences, the dissemination of best practices, and international cooperation. Entities such as Wetland Restoration and Water Management in Spain have demonstrated the potential of public-private collaboration and institutional dialogue to accelerate the implementation of technological solutions and overcome regulatory and social barriers related to the use of new water resources.
In the business and university spheres, advances in digitalization and water quality control , reverse osmosis membrane regeneration, automation of spill control, and irrigation modernization stand out, which is key to reducing pressure on aquifers and optimizing the complete water cycle.
