The Central Board of Irrigators of La Mancha Oriental celebrated its 30th anniversary on Wednesday at the Primitivo Casino in Albacete, where its president, Julián García, called for the new environmental measures on water limitation to not diminish the rights of irrigators and to provide them with compensatory tools.
He highlighted the organization’s success in "transforming the region’s lands and generating wealth in the provinces of Albacete and Cuenta," describing May as an "extraordinary" season due to the precipitation regime.
García emphasized the need for "prudent and appropriate behavior" to adapt to the changing reality in the face of a climate that has been affected by a severe drought.
The president of the Central Board mentioned the estimated start of the second phase of pump replacement in the hydrological plan for next year, which is expected to relieve pressure on the aquifer.
"We believe that this action will help release tension from the aquifer," explained García, stressing the importance of complying with environmental regulations without compromising the legitimate rights of irrigators.
"If we have to extract less water from the aquifer to restore it and drain more water, so be it. But we ask the Confederation to intervene and provide us with surface water resources either through pump replacements or induced aquifer recharge," García requested, ensuring that this approach will safeguard their rights and continue to generate wealth in the region.
The President of the Provincial Council of Albacete, Santi Cabañero, praised the Central Board for its "efficient, intelligent, and model management" of water, considering it a resource that should not be wasted.
He advocated for water management based on "meeting points" rather than "trenches," ensuring sustainability for future generations without compromising the rights of current ones.
3,000 Hectares in Villarrobledo
The Delegate of Agriculture of the Provincial Council, Ramón Sáez, highlighted the impact of recent storms on crops in Albacete, affecting 3,000 hectares in Villarrobledo, particularly vineyards, almond trees, pistachios, and onion farms.
These additional hectares add to the 35,000 previously affected by hailstorms, prompting Sáez to emphasize the importance of contracting agricultural insurance as the only tool to manage climatic uncertainties.
The Minister of Agriculture of the Regional Government, Julián Martínez Lizán, praised the Central Board of Irrigators as an exemplary organization in the region, with over 130,000 hectares, 10,000 members, and high production levels maintained with unparalleled sustainability criteria.
"The commitment of the regional government is to advance in the sustainable use of water and maximum efficiency," stated Lizán.
"Our community has only 16% of irrigated land, 5.5 points below the average, but we have 75% of highly efficient irrigation, putting us 10% above the average and being the region that has grown the most in new irrigated hectares in recent years," the councilor valued, projecting the creation of 25,000 new hectares through the latest Irrigation Plan to support irrigators under sustainable criteria and where water resources allow.
The President of the Júcar River Basin Authority, Miguel Polo, also praised the Central Board as an example of the effective operation of an irrigation community that united 30 years ago for the optimal use of the region’s water resources.
Polo emphasized that the second pump replacement plan is already underway, thanks to funding from the Recovery Plan and the Ministry of Ecological Transition.