Alicante is situated in the Valencian community in a coastal area of large population and a large water deficit to fulfil the water demands of

agriculture, industry, tourism and population.

THE MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN ALICANTE

MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE:MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE:

SUN AND BEACH DESERTIZATION

THE INADEQUATE URBAN PLANNING ON THE COAST

Benidorm 1950

Benidorm 2009

URBAN PRESSURE ON THE COASTURBAN PRESSURE ON THE COAST

POURING UNTREATED SEWAGE POURING UNTREATED SEWAGE INTO THE SEAINTO THE SEA

It represents a great risk and has an effect of pollution of the environment around us so the proper cleaning of waste-water plays an important role in preserving a sustainable environment

Oceanic Posidonia PRAIRIE

DESTRUCTION

MANY MARINAS ARE BUILT IN THE TOURIST AREAS AND IT

CAUSES CHANGES IN THE OCEAN

CURRENTS AND DESTRUCTION OF THE BEACHES

SOME MARINE SPECIES ARE SOME MARINE SPECIES ARE ENDANGERED DUE TO THE ENDANGERED DUE TO THE

OVEREXPLOITATION AND SEA POLLUTIONOVEREXPLOITATION AND SEA POLLUTION

Mediterranean red coral

Red tuna

Mediterranean turtle

THE DEMANDS OF WATER ARE THE DEMANDS OF WATER ARE SUPPLIED BYSUPPLIED BY

AQUIFERS

WATER TRANSFERS FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES

SEA WATER DESALATION (70% OF THECOAST POPULATION DRINK DESALINATED WATER)

REUSE OF TREATED WASTEWATER

ALICANTE IS AN AGRICULTURE AREA ALICANTE IS AN AGRICULTURE AREA AND IT ORIGINATESAND IT ORIGINATES

OVEREXPLOITATION AND SALINIZATION OF AQUIFERS DUE TO MARINE INTRUSION

SOIL AND AQUIFERS CONTAMINATION

ALICANTE HAS A LOT OF WETLAND ALICANTE HAS A LOT OF WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS WITH A GREAT VALUE AND ECOSYSTEMS WITH A GREAT VALUE AND

FRAGIL STABILITYFRAGIL STABILITYThe Natural Park of the Hondo de Elche, Santa Pola's saltworks, Torrevieja's lagoon, and Pego-Oliva marshland, are declared as a ZEPAS (Protected special zones for the birds) because of the great variety of birds who live permanently here, and also because of migratory birds.

The Pego-Oliva marshland, which was included in the Ramsar Convention (1971) as one wetland of international interest, constitutes a typical coastal aquatic ecosystem of the Western Mediterranean Sea. Currently, it is a Nature Reserve which coexists with traditional agricultural practises, like rice crop.

HIGH BIODIVERSITY ECOSYSTEMS

THE “COLD FRONT” IS A COMMON WEATHER PHENOMENON IN ALICANTE´S

CLIMATE Autumn is the season when there is a high probability of the “cold front”:it is a weather phenomenon that can cause heavy rain and thus there is a high probability of floods, human and material losses. We are not yet well protected to fight its effects .