Researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and Pablo de Olavide University (Seville) have published an alarming study highlighting the environmental deterioration of the Valencia Plain aquifer system due to intense urban expansion over recent decades. The work, published in the journal Sustainability, applies an innovative methodology based on the Weighted Environmental Index (WEI) to quantify the impact of land-use changes between 1990 and 2018.
The results show that the urban surface area of the Valencia Plain increased by 70%, while traditional agricultural land, especially rainfed crops, decreased by over 59%. Consequently, the region’s environmental quality, measured by the WEI, fell by 9.2%, indicating a significant loss in the capacity to deliver essential ecosystem services, such as aquifer recharge, biodiversity conservation, and climate regulation.
The study also warns of the negative impacts of urban encroachment on the Albufera Natural Park, one of the most ecologically valuable wetlands in the Mediterranean. The combination of urban growth, agricultural intensification, and inadequate spatial planning has reduced the park’s ecological integrity and exacerbated problems such as water pollution and habitat fragmentation.
The research team, led by Dr. Javier Rodrigo-Ilarri and Dr. María-Elena Rodrigo-Clavero, advocates for urgent measures to mitigate these impacts, including:
– The protection of peri-urban agricultural areas, especially traditional systems like the Huerta de Valencia
– The implementation of nature-based solutions to restore degraded ecosystems
– The integration of ecological criteria into urban and territorial planning
– Improved flood risk management, especially in light of recent extreme weather events
The study demonstrates the usefulness of combining CORINE Land Cover and World Settlement Footprint satellite data to achieve high-resolution environmental assessments. The authors also underline the potential of the WEI as a decision-support tool for sustainable land management in Mediterranean metropolitan regions facing high anthropogenic pressure.
The research forms part of the dissemination activities of the Erasmus+ LESLIE project, which promotes innovative approaches to environmental education and land management.
For more information, the full article is available in open access:
👉 Full access to the paper in ResearchGate
