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Governing groundwater, cultivating change: Rethinking irrigated agriculture. A combined analysis of interventions and agricultural practices to reverse groundwater depletion in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain.

Leonhartsberger, Valerie LU (2026) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM02 20261
LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Abstract
The safe and just Earth System Boundary for groundwater is transgressed in a quarter of aquifers in Spain, with irrigated agriculture being the largest driver of overexploitation. Guided by the Earth System Boundary Framework, this thesis studies interventions that reversed agricultural groundwater depletion. Through a systematic literature review, five such cases were identified. While aquifer abstractions were reduced in four cases, some of the demand for groundwater was always replaced by surface water; farmers are involved in governance processes in at least four cases. Interconnections between groundwater interventions and the surface water boundary were identified. Through field work in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain the six barriers... (More)
The safe and just Earth System Boundary for groundwater is transgressed in a quarter of aquifers in Spain, with irrigated agriculture being the largest driver of overexploitation. Guided by the Earth System Boundary Framework, this thesis studies interventions that reversed agricultural groundwater depletion. Through a systematic literature review, five such cases were identified. While aquifer abstractions were reduced in four cases, some of the demand for groundwater was always replaced by surface water; farmers are involved in governance processes in at least four cases. Interconnections between groundwater interventions and the surface water boundary were identified. Through field work in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain the six barriers unfamiliarity, unsuitability for the crops or land, unsuitability for the region or climate, high costs, limited time and economic loss and the three enablers abstraction limitation, ecological values and cost savings were identified for the implementation of water-saving agricultural practices, influenced by broader institutional settings. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Leonhartsberger, Valerie LU
supervisor
organization
course
MESM02 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Sustainability Science, groundwater depletion reversal, irrigated agriculture, agricultural practices, Earth System Boundaries
publication/series
Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
report number
2026:032
language
English
id
9232666
date added to LUP
2026-06-09 10:59:32
date last changed
2026-06-09 10:59:32
@misc{9232666,
  abstract     = {{The safe and just Earth System Boundary for groundwater is transgressed in a quarter of aquifers in Spain, with irrigated agriculture being the largest driver of overexploitation. Guided by the Earth System Boundary Framework, this thesis studies interventions that reversed agricultural groundwater depletion. Through a systematic literature review, five such cases were identified. While aquifer abstractions were reduced in four cases, some of the demand for groundwater was always replaced by surface water; farmers are involved in governance processes in at least four cases. Interconnections between groundwater interventions and the surface water boundary were identified. Through field work in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain the six barriers unfamiliarity, unsuitability for the crops or land, unsuitability for the region or climate, high costs, limited time and economic loss and the three enablers abstraction limitation, ecological values and cost savings were identified for the implementation of water-saving agricultural practices, influenced by broader institutional settings.}},
  author       = {{Leonhartsberger, Valerie}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{Governing groundwater, cultivating change: Rethinking irrigated agriculture. A combined analysis of interventions and agricultural practices to reverse groundwater depletion in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain.}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}