Présentations Colloques

Within the framework of MARSOL project [Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) as a solution to water scarcity and drought], experiences in 8 demo-sites have been developed and tracked. In this context, a single site has been selected to apply a new methodology to monitor the economic aspects and their evolution- Carracillo District, Castilla y León, Spain.**This site has an important agro-industry related to MAR activity based on groundwater exploitation and the evolution has been tracked by means of specific indicators related to benchmarking.**In Spain about 80% of water is used for irrigation though this sector represents around 3% of the Spanish Gross Domestic Product (GDP). These figures represent a serious constraint for agroindustry agents, and some of them, as the selected case, apply MAR since 2003 to make their activity sustainable, to the extent that MAR has become an assumed action for local farmers and authorities, who adopted, regulated and applied it.**A broad scope of indicators using a benchmarking approach, a useful tool but scarcely used in previous water management studies, have been stablished, measured, tracked and charted to evaluate the difference between areas with and without MAR activities integrated in their water management habits.**The attention paid to economic indicators has permitted to assess the economic trend along time demonstrating that MAR activity is contributing to achieve some assets such as- the permanence (even raise) of rural employment, rural flight decrease, greater crop productions, energy savings due to the raise of the water table, guaranteed water supply during short drought periods, etc. **In short, this area with MAR technique already inserted in their idiosyncrasy is having, according to performance indicators results, a positive rural development in comparison to other close areas with bare groundwater exploitation and rain fed crops.**