{"id":4406444,"date":"2026-01-23T09:47:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T09:47:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/retouch-nexus.eu\/?p=4406444"},"modified":"2026-02-27T10:48:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T10:48:08","slug":"new-policy-brief-pathways-towards-improved-integrated-water-governance-in-the-jucar-river-basin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/retouch-nexus.eu\/nl\/2026\/01\/23\/new-policy-brief-pathways-towards-improved-integrated-water-governance-in-the-jucar-river-basin\/","title":{"rendered":"Nieuw beleidsdocument: Wegen naar verbeterd ge\u00efntegreerd waterbeheer in het stroomgebied van de J\u00facar"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Integrated Water Governance in the J\u00facar River Basin: Turning Scarcity into Resilience<\/strong><\/h5>\n

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The J\u00facar River Basin, Valencia’s main water source, faces a critical juncture as frequent droughts, water scarcity, and groundwater overuse intensify under climate change. Political tensions between Castilla-La Mancha and Valencia add complexity to an already fragmented governance landscape where rigid legal frameworks and weak cross-sector coordination limit effective responses. This new RETOUCH NEXUS policy brief proposes a transformative shift toward integrated Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus governance that balances water use with energy production, agriculture, and environmental needs while engaging stakeholders beyond traditional water actors.<\/p>\n

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1<\/h1>\n

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Fragmented governance undermines sustainability:<\/strong> Current water-dominant approaches with limited engagement of smallholder farmers and environmental NGOs create coordination gaps and miss opportunities for synergies across water, energy, food, and ecosystem management.<\/p>\n

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2<\/h1>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.26.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text quote_border_color=”#83c5be” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”2c55a9c4-feed-423b-9edb-ae0b5b365cac” text_font=”–et_global_body_font|Inter_weight|||||||” link_font=”|Inter_weight|||||||” link_text_color=”#006d77″ quote_font=”Syne|Syne_weight|||||||” quote_text_color=”#0e0c19″ header_font=”Syne|Syne_weight|||||||” header_text_color=”#0e0c19″ header_font_size=”72px” header_line_height=”1.15em” header_2_font=”Syne|Syne_weight|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#0e0c19″ header_2_font_size=”50px” header_2_line_height=”1.2em” header_3_font=”Syne|Syne_weight|||||||” header_3_text_color=”#0e0c19″ header_3_font_size=”32px” header_3_line_height=”1.3em” header_4_font=”Syne|Syne_weight|||||||” header_4_text_color=”#0e0c19″ header_4_font_size=”24px” header_4_line_height=”1.4em” header_5_font=”Syne|Syne_weight|||||||” header_5_text_color=”#0e0c19″ header_5_font_size=”18px” header_5_line_height=”1.4em” header_6_font=”Syne|Syne_weight|||||||” header_6_text_color=”#0e0c19″ header_6_line_height=”1.5em” custom_margin=”||||false|false” text_font_size_tablet=”15px” text_font_size_phone=”14px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_font_size_tablet=”40px” header_font_size_phone=”24px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” header_2_font_size_tablet=”28px” header_2_font_size_phone=”20px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_3_font_size_tablet=”22px” header_3_font_size_phone=”17px” header_3_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_4_font_size_tablet=”18px” header_4_font_size_phone=”15px” header_4_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” header_5_font_size_tablet=”15px” header_5_font_size_phone=”14px” header_5_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” header_6_font_size_tablet=”13px” header_6_font_size_phone=”13px” header_6_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

WEFE Nexus integration is essential:<\/strong> Moving from sectoral planning to integrated approaches that explicitly recognize linkages and quantify trade-offs enables more coherent, basin-wide strategies that optimize outcomes across all four nexus elements.<\/p>\n

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3<\/h1>\n

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Economic instruments drive efficiency and equity:<\/strong> Water pricing through volumetric and tiered tariffs can encourage efficient use while maintaining equity via differentiated rates and subsidies, with revenues feeding resilience funds for adaptive infrastructure.<\/p>\n

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4<\/h1>\n

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Inclusive participation strengthens legitimacy:<\/strong> Expanding participatory platforms to include underrepresented stakeholders, particularly smallholder farmers and environmental advocates, ensures governance reflects diverse perspectives and fosters equitable resource distribution.<\/p>\n

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5<\/h1>\n

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Progressive implementation builds capacity:<\/strong> A phased roadmap from 2025-2035 establishes foundations through stakeholder mapping and pilots, scales successful models while integrating economic tools, and ultimately institutionalizes nexus approaches in all planning processes.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Call to Action” _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” collapsed=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.25.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.25.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][dsm_blog_carousel include_categories=”69″ excerpt_length=”15″ use_author=”off” use_readmore=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” body_line_height=”1.5em” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/dsm_blog_carousel][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>Integrated Water Governance in the J\u00facar River Basin: Turning Scarcity into ResilienceThe J\u00facar River Basin, Valencia’s main water source, faces a critical juncture as frequent droughts, water scarcity, and groundwater overuse intensify under climate change. Political tensions between Castilla-La Mancha and Valencia add […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4406445,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[74,69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4406444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-policy-briefs","category-spanish-cs"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t