La demanda de agua en territorio valenciano

From the standpoint of the well-known lack of balance in the existing hydrological resources distributed all over the valencian region, further intensified by the water demand, we analyse both the evolution and the structure of the latter. First comes the absolute predominance of agricultural consumption, the progressive importance of urban supply and the serious problem of pollution; in the near future, the generalised demand of resources to protect the environment will gain priority over the agricultural or industrial demands and enter the growing list of competitors as to the uses of water. In relation to the manichean dilemma between gigantic hydrologic works and exploitation of the aquiferous layers, we choose a global and intermediary solution, wich has to be carefully measured in terms of hydrological, ecological, technical and economical criteria, within a wider framework of a maximum rationalisation of consumption.