Conflicts, Water Management and Environmental Mediation: The Siurana-Riudecanyes System

Abstract

Environmental conflicts at local and regional scales proliferate within the framework of a society that demands greater participation in decision-making. This is especially true of water, a common good and an essential resource, when its most polemical effects are analysed from the point of view of quality, planning and management. Water conflicts are numerous in Europe and their presence is evident on various scales and in many areas. This article analyses a paradigmatic case in Catalonia: the management of the water resources of the Siurana River. The origin, main parties, development and outcome are all assessed. Evidence shows that the complexity of each case requires a sector-by-sector approach, and that mediation can be useful in certain areas as long as there is a predisposition and a real will to resolve the conflict.