INBO'S NEWSLETTER N° 4

INBO'S NEWSLETTER N° 4 - 1996

Table of contents	INBO'S NEWSLETTER - N° 4 - 1996
THE MEDITERRANEAN SPAIN

The River Basin, Territorial framework for water management

Due to the particular climatic conditions of the greater part of the Spanish territory, water availability with suitable quality is the basic constraint to development. A secure water supply has been, is and will be the prerequisite to any activity.

Handicapped by an unfavourable hydrological context, the Spanish society endeavoured to palliate its water shortage by making huge efforts to improve the scarce and irregular water resources.

Many hydraulic infrastructures were built by original institutions. The role played by Syndicates of irrigation users is well known as they ensure the efficiency of irrigation systems and their organization and operation have been a model for many irrigation schemes over the world.

Yet, the long Spanish tradition of river basin management, that the Water Administration had to adopt in order to solve the conflicts generated by the complex hydraulic problems, is less known.

The Royal Decree of March 5, 1926, established Hydrographic Confederations, and another Decree passed at the same period created the Ebro River Basin Confederation, the Ebro being the main river of the Spanish territory.

The principle of respecting river basin unity, was the essential element of water resources management in the new Water Law of 1985. In order to reconcile this basic principle with the new Spanish territorial organization, which provided Regional Autonomous Communities with wider power, the new Water Law differentiates the case of a river entirely located on the territory of a sole Community which is entrusted with its management, from the Hydrographic Confederations which are responsible for the management of intercommunity river basins.

In the future, the Hydrographic Confederations will have to adapt themselves to the new conditions imposed by a dynamic environment.

Carlos M. Escartin Hernandez
State Secretariat for Water and Coastal Areas
Fax : (34-1) 597 85 06

DOURO HYDROGRAPHIC CONFEDERATION

Automatic system for hydrological information

The Hydrographic Confederations must adapt the natural resource to requirements in order to achieve an always more efficient management of water use, from water supply, irrigation, hydropower and industry, etc., to flood control in rivers.

Thus, it is necessary to have a widespread, quick and real system for getting information on the flowrate evolution in rivers and dam-reservoirs to take the necessary operating measures.

Thanks to new technologies, based on mathematical models and computerized support, an ambitious automatic information programme could be implemented. It takes into account the specific characteristics of Douro river basin. Rainfalls are scarce and mainly under the form of snow in the mountains.

Floods occur even when no rain falls as they are caused by a rise in temperature that melts snow.

The Hydrodouro Network

The Hydrodouro Network was built during these last 3 years as an integrated part of the SAIH system that the General Directorate of Hydraulic Works is in the process of installing in all the river basins of the peninsula. This system is used at basin level.

The first studies of this project were initiated in May 1991 and work started in December 1992. The system became operational in April 1994, when the irrigation campaign was launched.

Thanks to the Hydrodouro Network, the knowledge of parameters necessary for properly operating the State canals can be obtained by remote sensing and in real-time.

All data converge by telecommunication means into a Data Processing Centre, housed in the restored building of lock 42 on the Canal of Castille near Valladolid. This centre also houses a small hydraulic museum.

Investment now amounts to 1,700 million pesetas. It has been financed by the General Directorate of Hydraulic Works. Information is to be used by all people, starting with the teams of the Douro Hydrographic Confederation, going on with Syndicates of irrigation users, Administrations and civil defence departments, to finally end with Universities and research teams.

Antonio J. Alonso Burgos
Douro Hydrographic Confederation
Fax : (34-83) 30 91 42

TAGUS HYDROGRAPHIC CONFEDERATION

The Hydrographic Confederations have managed Spanish water resources for more than 70 years. Pioneers of river basin organizations, they have kept an operation scheme close to the present one all along their history. At first, these organizations belonged to the Ministry of Development, then to the Ministry of Public Works and now, for the first time, they are added on the organizational chart of the new Ministry for the Environment, created by the Royal Decree of March 5, 1996.

The new Ministry comprises a State Secretariat for Water and Coastal Areas composed of the General Directorate of Hydraulic Works and Water Quality which supervises the Hydrographic Confederations, the General Directorate of Coastal Areas and the Spanish Technological and Geomines Institute.

José Antonio Llanos Blasco
Tagus Hydrographic Confederation
Fax : (34-1) 554 55 02

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Table of contents	INBO'S NEWSLETTER - N° 4 - 1996
THE MEDITERRANEAN ALGERIA

Statutes and missions of basin organizations

The decree of the Government Council of March 6, 1996 defined the river basins and laid down the statutes of public management institutions as well as those related to the 5 River Basin Committees and the National Water Council.

The 5 River Basin Agencies are public institutions which operate under an industrial and commercial management and which carry out a mission of public service linked to water resources management.
The River Basin Committees form the adapted framework for dialogue in which members are commissioned to discuss and express their views on all water-related issues in the river basin.

Each River Basin Committee has 24 members and is equally made up of representatives from the Administration, local authorities, and of the different potential users.
The National Water Council completes this institutional structure. It is chaired by the Head of Government and composed of the Ministers of all sectors concerned with water.

New Water Policy

After a long period of reflection and dialogue, the Ministry of Public Works and Regional Planning has just completed a whole stock of statutory measures which will enable it to implement the new water policy.

These texts bring innovations of great importance on the following points:

Consideration of water as property of the national community.
Integrated water resources management on the scale of the river basin.
Strengthening of arrangements aiming at water resources preservation, laying down obligations as regards the treatment of urban and industrial effluents.
Setting up of planning tools, such as masterplans on national and regional scale.
Strengthening of the sanitation obligation.
State incentive and assistance as regards water saving.
Widening the system of concession of public services to private legal entities having the necessary qualifications.

Ahmed Ajabi
Ministry of Public Works and Regional Planning
Fax : (213-2) 58 50 38

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Table of contents	INBO'S NEWSLETTER - N° 4 - 1996
THE MEDITERRANEAN MOROCCO

Signing of an agreement on water

On the occasion of the visit of Mrs C. LEPAGE, French Minister for the Environment, on last 18 and 19 April to her Moroccan counterparts, Messrs BENOMAR, Minister for the Environment, and MEZIANE, Minister of Public Works, a cooperation agreement on Global Water Management was signed by Messrs JELLALI, Director General of Water, and P. ROUSSEL, Director of Water.

The main projects that were retained are the setting up of a pilot organization for the management of OUM ER R'BIA basin, of which the International Office for Water will be coordinator on the French side in collaboration with NANCIE, and flood prevention.

Mohamed Jellali
Director General of Water
Fax : (212-7) 77 86 96

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