Author(s): L. Santos; E. Contreras; F. Herrera; A. Andreu; R. Gomez-Beas; C. Aguilar; M.J. Polo; R. Pimentel
Linked Author(s): Rafael Pimentel, Ariosto Aguilar Chavez, María José Polo Gómez
Keywords: Land uses; Non-point pollution; Livestock; Water quality indicator
Abstract: In Mediterranean basins, due to their widespread agricultural and livestock use, situations of water scarcity arise from multiple factors such as (i) lack of rainfall, (ii) water pollution, and (iii) improper water management (e.g., water demand not aligned with water availability). In Spain, the current system of indicators used in the Special Drought Plans, is based on precipitation or storage volumes, only considers quantity factors and ignores quality issues that undoubtedly limit the suitability of water for human supply, not to mention its environmental impact. This work addresses the main factor that drives potential pollution—land use—by assessing the pollutant load risk associated with land-use types and validating the results using water quality and reservoir storage volume data. The findings will enable the design of a flexible service that complements and supports existing indicators through a Water Quality Indicator (WQI), ultimately leading to a Combined Drought Index (CDI) tool.
Year: 2026