What future for decommissioned historic irrigation canals? Crafting new identities in the Lower Ter (Spain)

ABSTRACT

Historic irrigation canals are valuable socioecological systems capable of delivering several ecological and cultural services. However, ecological modernisation initiatives are leaving decommissioned ditches in limbo. A case study strategy is used to analyse the history of a decommissioned 700-year-old canal network in northeastern Spain and the unexpected intervention of several stakeholders who have attempted to redefine the former canals through new uses. The study relies on the analysis of documents and eight semistructured interviews with key stakeholders. We argue that this case reflects a policy failure in the application of multifunctionality, integrative planning and social participation principles presumably ingrained in European policies. The replacement of such principles with monosectoral action under a productivity paradigm, function segregation and a neoliberal management approach should be balanced with greater institutional commitment, increased coordination between stakeholders and rigorous planning controls if ecological and cultural functions and services are to be preserved.

KEYWORDS:

• Ecological modernisation
• ecosystem services
• green infrastructure
• landscape planning
• multifunctional agriculture

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to sincerely thank the eight interviewees for their time, willingness to participate and honesty regarding the case study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the FP7 Environment [PCIN-2015-017]; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad [PCIN-2015-017].

Notes on contributors

Albert Llausàs

Albert Llausàs is Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Valencia. His Ph.D. was awarded by the University of Girona (Spain) in 2008 for a thesis on agricultural landscape change. He has enjoyed stays at Clark University (USA), Université Paris 7 (France), Newcastle University (UK) and The University of Melbourne (Australia), conducting research on land use modelling, landscape ecology, green infrastructure, rural abandonment and peri-urban spatial planning. A postdoctoral scholarship awarded by the Beatriu de Pinós/Marie Skłodowska Curie EU programme allowed him to spend two years at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain), exploring connections between urban land use patterns and sustainability. He is currently involved in two research projects dealing with the political ecology of natural resource management conflicts and ecosystem services in historic landscapes. He is chief editor of the journal ‘Cuadernos de Geografía de la Universitat de València’.

Anna Ribas Palom

Anna Ribas Palom is a Geographer by the Autonomous University of Barcelona and holds a Chair in the Department of Geography at the University of Girona. She is head of the research group ‘Environment and Geographic Information Technologies’ at the latter university and member of the ‘Water, Tourism, Territory and Sustainability’ Consolidated Research Group (AQU, Government of Catalonia) since 2005. Her lines of research include the analysis and management of natural hazards (flooding), water use planning, sustainable management of waterscapes and water management in touristic environments. She has participated in several competitive projects (EU, Spanish Research Bureau, Catalan Water Agency) and her research has been published in international journals. She lectures in the official Environmental Sciences PhD programme and in the Master of Environmental Science and Water Technology at the University of Girona.

Sandra Ricart

Sandra Ricart is a Geographer, post-doctoral researcher and assistant professor with the Interuniversity Institute of Geography at the University of Alicante (Spain). Sandra conducts applied research on human-nature coupled systems (such as multifunctional irrigation systems), hydrosocial territories, and rural-urban interdependencies. She holds a PhD in experimental sciences and sustainability, and an MSc in environmental sciences from University of Girona, Spain. Sandra’s work emphasises analysis at multiple spatial scales and draws on a diverse methodological toolkit, including qualitative data analysis and modelling, multi-stakeholder learning and decision-making processes, geospatial data meaning, and statistics. Her current research focuses on water systems management attending to confronted water demands, on-going challenges on water scarcity Southern-Europe regions, and stakeholders’ attitudes and end-user’s behaviour on water consumption patterns taking into account climate change scenarios. She also supervises postgraduate research students, and has developed and teaches on several Masters’ degree and training courses.

Dolors Roset

Dolors Roset is a Geographer by the Autonomous University of Barcelona. She spent 13 years as head of projects for the River Ter Consortium, developing initiatives for territorial and local development in connection with the river. She has participated in the funded research projects (EU, Spanish Research Bureau, Catalan Water Agency). She has been associate professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Girona lecturing in natural resource management and tools and techniques for professional geographers.