This was underlined by Isabel Bombal, Director General for Rural Development, Innovation and Agri-food Training at Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), during the opening of the second edition of the Euro-Mediterranean Congress on Water Reuse (REUSE-EuroMed 2026), held on 18 June.
During her speech, Bombal stressed the Ministry’s commitment to promoting the use of non-conventional water resources, which she described as “a strategic pillar of Spanish agricultural policy”.
More than €216 million for non-conventional water resources
The Director General highlighted MAPA’s investment of more than €216 million in 19 projects linked to the use of non-conventional water resources in some of the areas most affected by the lack of rainfall.
These actions are being carried out in regions such as Andalusia, the Canary Islands, Murcia, the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands, where water availability is one of the main challenges for the continuity and competitiveness of agricultural activity.
Together, these projects will benefit more than 52,000 hectares and almost 33,000 farmers, helping to strengthen irrigation water security and improve the efficient use of available resources.
A resource with strong growth potential
Bombal pointed out that reclaimed water still has considerable room for growth in Spain. Its use could become a key tool to reduce pressure on conventional water resources and improve the resilience of farms facing drought and increasingly scarce rainfall.
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The promotion of these resources forms part of Spain’s Irrigation Modernisation Plan, which will mobilise more than €2.4 billion by 2027.
Through these measures, the Ministry aims to move towards a more efficient, sustainable and climate-resilient irrigation model, particularly in agricultural areas facing the highest levels of water stress.
