In the last decades, the importance of preserving natural resources to ensure their quality and sustainability for supporting the needs of population has been of increasing concern mainly in that related to water and food supplies. Numerous legislative initiatives have been developed at regional, national and EU levels to protect the quality of natural water resources and, in a less extent, of soils. Nowadays, the most important source of pressure on these resources is the human development in its different expressions (agriculture, industry, urbanization, infrastructures, etc.). The river basins are idoneous to show these pressures and its effects. For that reason it is crucial to assure the quality of hydrological and pedological resources, since the key of its functioning is in its interrelations, and in the linking of causes and effects, of processes and responses caused by a particular situation.
This project establishes the influence and the effects of the evolution of human pressure in a typical Mediterranean River Basin (Turia River) through the establishment of its quality through an integrate study of the state of waters, soils and sediments, including its irrigation networks and surrounding crops, to identify fragile areas to chemical degradation. Especial attention will be paid to the determination of emerging contaminants, which are specific indicators of the human living, in the studied matrices. To establish accurately the point sources of contamination and its types, a methodological base for the application of environmental forensics in a more global perspective, on physical and chemical degradation, will be developed and tested. Finally, present and future degradation risks, through landscape units from sampling points to the global framework of the basin will be determined. The project is aimed to create an essential knowledge base for the development, from a holistic perspective, of more effective and reliable policies of Mediterranean river basins recovery and protection, which can be potentially of help to preserve Public Health and Safety.

MEFTURIA web site:

http://mefturia.es/

Andreu, V.

Ministry of Science and Innovation Subsidy Amount: 223.000,00

CIDE-CSIC, University of Valencia Number of researchers involved: 9