Spain’s Natural Resources and Hazards: An Overview

Posted on Mar 5, 2025 in Geology

Spain’s Natural Resources and Hazards

1. Natural Environment as a Resource

1.1 Resources and Visibility

  • Visibility of the Spanish mainland and resources related to human activities.
  • Influences settlements.
  • Important in farming.
  • Provides mineral and energy resources.
  • Subsequent communications.
  • The terrain’s peculiarities can be a tourist attraction.
  • The coastal relief is unfavorable for port installation due to the predominance of rectilinear forms, and fishery resources are affected by the narrow continental shelf.

1.2 Climate as a Resource

  • The climate influences population distribution and habitat.
  • Exerts a significant influence on agriculture, as crops require specific thermal and rainfall conditions.
  • The atmosphere provides renewable and clean energy sources.
  • The climate is involved in various activities in the tertiary sector.

1.3 Water as a Resource

1.3.1 Water Use
  • Consumptive uses include agricultural irrigation, which absorbs over 80% of consumed water.
  • Water use by economic sectors and households/municipalities.
  • Non-consumptive uses include fisheries, aquaculture, and hydroelectric output.
1.3.2 Water Balance

The water balance in Spain shows more precipitation than anything else, but there is an annual water deficit of 3000 to 4000 hm3 due to:

  • Irregular distribution of resources.
  • Irregular distribution of demand.
  • Failure of reservoirs and water losses.
1.3.3 Hydraulic Works

a) Works to regulate water resources in Spain have a long historical tradition.

  • Rivers have been regulated by dams and diversion channels.
  • Reservoirs are large artificial storage of water behind a dam or barrier to cross the stream.
  • Distribution channels comprise over 15000km.
  • Transfers of water occur between surplus and deficit basins.

More water resources exploited are:

  • Pyrenean lakes located over 2000 m altitude are used to produce hydroelectric power.
  • Aquifers are exploited through wells and galleries for agricultural, industrial, and urban areas, especially in southern and eastern regions, Balearic and Canary Islands.
  • Seawater and brackish water, underground or not, are used by desalination techniques.

b) Works to improve water quality include water treatment plants that treat water to be drinking and wastewater treatment plants that treat wastewater to prevent contamination.

1.3.4 Water Policy

Water policy has two main purposes:

a) The regulation of water resources is carried out through water planning.

  • River basin management plans identify needs and works of each basin.
  • The coordinated national water plan designs these general measures in accordance with the WATER program.

1.4 Vegetation as a Resource

  • Provides resources such as food for humans and animals.
  • Contributes to the protection and improvement of the environment.

1.5 Soil as a Resource

Affects various aspects of human activity.

  • Traditionally preferred settlement areas have fertile soil, and houses have used traditional materials in the environment.
  • Agricultural production is partly dependent on soil fertility, which in Spain is generally mediocre.
  • Infrastructure is affected by some soil characteristics.

2. Natural Hazards

2.1 Geohazards

  • Earthquakes are due to the peninsula’s position in the contact zone between the African and Euroasiatic plates, mainly threatening the south and southeast.
  • Volcanic eruptions are confined to the Canary Islands of La Palma, El Hierro, Tenerife, and Lanzarote.
  • Slope movements are fast displacements of large masses of land or rock, such as slides or landslides.

2.2 Climate Risk

The more frequent climate risks are floods and droughts.

  • Floods are caused by intense rainfall in a short time or by the rapid melting of snow.
  • Droughts are temporary and prolonged rainfall shortages compared to the average rainfall of an area.

2.3 Proceedings Against Natural Hazards

Actions against natural hazards are of four types:

  • Construction of growing infrastructure to mitigate the most common hazards.
  • Creation of forecast systems and surveillance in the areas most at risk.
  • Emergency action to protect the population during an extreme event.
  • Prevention of risks by establishing rules that prevent and education and information from the public.