Un Viaje a España

The IGERT group headed to Madrid, Spain last week to learn about the Guadiana River Basin. The upper Guadiana River system, located in central Spain, is a dramatic example of a changing social-ecological system. Rapid development of irrigated agriculture over the past several decades has lead to intensive groundwater use and the over-exploitation of the Western Mancha aquifer. The aquifer, which has decreased 40 to 50 meters in some areas, supports the wetlands of Las Tablas de Damiel National Park which is listed as both a Ramsar site and as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The 4-day trip consisted of a day of presentations introducing us to the Upper Guadiana region, a tour of LasTablas National Park, and meetings with representatives from the Damiel irrigation community and the River Basin Authority.

Day 1 - An early flight into Madrid and a day of sightseeing

The Royal Palace of Madrid

Group photo in front of the Royal Palace



Festive town square in Madrid

 
Day 2 - Meetings at the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) for background presentations on the upper Guadiana

Presentation by Gema Carmona, a post-doc at UPM, on the application of participatory methods in the upper Guadiana basin. Gema was our guide for the week and did an amazing job introducing us to the complex issues faced in the basin. 

Presentation by Irene Blanco (UPM) on "Assessing water conservation measures and tools".

The IGERT group and the UPM group

Day 3 - Visit with Damiel irrigation community, tour of Las Tablas de Damiel National Park, and a visit to the Water Exhibition Center of Damiel

Group discussion with the Secretary of the Damiel Irrigation Community.

During the meeting with the Damiel Irrigation Community, we learned about the role of the irrigation community and the challenges they face in representing water users (which mainly consist of irrigators). The farmers within the basin want to keep their water rights at past use levels but the irrigation community is being pressured by the River Basin Authority (and overarching legislation) to lower consumption.


Gema, Jan, Joana and Trisha checking out a map of the Guadiana River Basin

During our 2-hour tour of Las Tablas, our Irish tour guide Mike provided us with a wealth of historical and ecological knowledge of the park. Heavily dependent on the Western Mancha aquifer, the water in the wetlands varies greatly from year to year (the wetlands are basically the surface area of the aquifer). The park supports over 200 species of birds including ducks, flamingos and cranes.

Mike, Joana, Gema, Jan, Trisha, Kristine and Joe enjoying the beautiful scenery.

A map showing the hydrology of Las Tablas

Las Tablas de Damiel National Park

Joana taking a closer look at a stork off into the distance.

We finished to day by making a stop at the Water Exhibition Center of Damiel, an education facility used to teach students and community members about the wetlands and the threats the park is facing due to increasing pressures on groundwater resources within the region.



Joe and Jan looking at an exhibit that shows the effects of declining water resources within the upper Guadiana region.

  Day 4 - We spent our last day with Jose Ramon Aragon from the River Basin Authority office in Ciudad Real. We met for a few hours in the morning for a Q&A session on the basin and then went into the field to take a first-hand look at what was happening.

Jose Ramon presenting on the Upper Guadiana

The water within Las Tablas National Park is protected; however, the water above and below the park is not protected. This picture shows where the Guadiana River should flow. However, the river only flows in the upper basin during times of high rainfall.

Our field visit also included a trip to the Alarcos-Calatrava archaeological park where we received a tour of a former Iberian city dating back to the 8th century. Jose Ramon is leading the way to the former castle.

Our excursion to the ancient city had a relevant purpose, for the Guadiana River once flowed past the city walls...but now only flows during periods of high rainfall.

Spain was our last group IGERT trip in Europe. It has been a great adventure and an amazing educational experience. We can't thank Jan enough for all of his time and planning efforts to make our experience so rewarding.