Mediterranean semiarid landscapes in South-Eastern Spain have been shaped by human impacts for more than two thousand years. Nevertheless ecosystems sustainability is in risk. Threatened by land use changes, fragmentation and intensification in the amount and procedures to exploit water. Since early XX century water demands have diverted the natural water flows to be used in agriculture and urban consumption. But this trend is progressively eroding the biological status of many landscapes. Using GIS technologies and comparing historical information and aerial photos since 1945 till 2013 a 100 square kilometer sector in the vicinity of the towun of Villena (Alicante) was studied to identify the main regression trends.
Results/Conclusions
The results showed a sharp increase in landscape disruption associated with new water treatment plant implementation in early 90's, due to strong increase in the water demand mainly for agricultural intensification. Novel ecosystems appear highly dependent on water reuse protocols and environmental flow paradigm was not possible to be implemented due to policy constrains. Safe-water sites identification and connection appeared as a more feasible solution to improve ecosystems sustainability.