Water Policy and Tourism in Spain: a Regional Analysis

Abstract

Spanish economic growth  has  led  to  an  increase in environmental deterioration, with a negative repercussion in public health. The deterioration is partly reflected in the low level of wastewater treatment. While the national data series on treated wastewater shows a favourable evolution, the comparison by regions reveals the existence of important differences among them. These differences grow as a result of the increase of urban planning pressures, sometimes aggravated by an increase in tourists as well. This work analyses the relationship between water quality and tourism. The results show very weak regional convergence behaviours in the volume of treated wastewater and reclaimed water. Regions receiving more tourists present a greater volume of treated wastewater, but not enough to compensate for the difference in per capita terms with other regions where tourism has a much lower impact. Thus the environmental impact of tourism must be taken into account as a relevant factor for competitiveness and public health inequalities.