The public water company dependent on the Association of Municipalities of the Western Costa del Sol, Acosol, has addressed this Thursday in Marbella together with the Association of Water Supply and Sanitation of Andalusia, ASA Andalucía, a conference on the governance in water resource management, as well as projected various solutions to the drought situation and that go through digitization and awareness.
The day is framed in the ‘Sector meetings for water sustainability’ organized by the Andalusian association, called “New challenges and opportunities in the governance of public water services”held in La Cabane del Hotel Los Monteros with the participation of representatives of the Junta de Andalucía, ASA Andalucía, ACOSOL and the systems of the Mediterranean basin and the Costa del Sol, such as EMASA, ARCGISA and AXARAGUA.
The objective of the meeting was jointly analyze the current situation of water resourcesaddressing the keys and challenges of its management, governance, good use and care.
The Secretary General for the Environment, Water and Climate Change of the Junta de Andalucía, Sergio Arjona, has underlined the importance of this type of forum with the participatory presence of the Junta de Andalucía to address the water management in the Andalusian Mediterranean basins, specifically in the province of Malaga and also with the presence of Campo de Gibraltar.
Arjona has highlighted that “The Junta de Andalucía plays a key role in the collaboration and in the policies that have to be done in everything related to water and the management of water resources in the Andalusian Mediterranean basin”, competence of the regional Administration.
Also, “we have to talk about the new challenges we face, such as the drought”, has added. “Let us not forget that until two days ago we were worried about the situation, specifically in the Western Costa del Sol, and today we can say that the concern has diminished, since thanks to the rains of recent weeks we have the La Concepción reservoir practically its full capacity.”
At this point, he has assessed that “these precipitations do not solve the problem and that we have to continue managing those risks in the best possible way, because we have to ensure and guarantee the resource to all citizens from all administrations, both the Junta de Andalucía and the central and local administrations or associations”, he stressed.
Arjona also recalled that the sectoral meeting held in Marbella has served to present to the media a joint campaign of ASA and the Junta de Andalucía to value a resource as scarce and fundamental as water, with the aim of learn to take care of it and establish awareness tests among all citizens.
From the host company Acosol, the CEO, Carlos Cañavate, has highlighted that “we must thank ASA Andalucía for choosing us as hosts of a key day for us, which has had the Campo de Gibraltar and water companies in the province of Malagaand that has allowed us to jointly address the current situation of water resourceseven more so when we suffer continuous situations year after year of lack of water or drought”.
“It has become clear that it is essential effective management, governance and good use of such an essential resource for life”, remarked the delegate, who pointed out that this “has been an occasion that has allowed us to discover the water management both from the point of view of sanitation and supply and how working together is very necessary to find solutions in the short, medium and long term”.
“In addition, from Acosol we have also presented to the representatives of the Junta de Andalucía and the Mediterranean Basin a awareness campaign whose motto is ‘A drop counts more than ever’since it is our duty to carry out this type of communications and campaigns aimed at all citizens to value water and the importance of its care”.
From EMASA, the managing director Juan José Denis, has pointed out that “we are facing a great opportunity to apply digitalization of the water cycle for the rationalization of consumption in cities, but the great potential of this opportunity lies in going further, in also extend it to irrigation”, he pointed out.
Also, the speaker Vice President of AXARAGUAGregorio Campos, who has highlighted that “the Water plays an essential and strategic role in people’s lives and of course in the sustainable development of our environment, in economic activity and in the progress of society”.
Campos considers it essential that local administrations carry out “investments related to the improvement of networks, sectorization or process efficiency”. Also that the regional and state “comply with hydrological planning and with the development of infrastructures”.
Among the solutions proposed by the vice president of Axaragua, they highlight “the connection between systems, the preservation of the La Viñuela reservoir as much as possible using other types of resources such as regenerated, surface or underground water; as well as investments in the Benamargosa valleysince this conduit, small in size, is insufficient to supply half a dozen towns at specific times of the summer”.