THE MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN

ALICANTE
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.
 MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE:

SUN AND BEACH DESERTIZATION

THE INADEQUATE URBAN PLANNING ON THE
COAST
 URBAN PRESSURE ON THE COAST
Benidorm 1950

Benidorm 2009
 POURING UNTREATED SEWAGE
INTO 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
ENDANGERED DUE TO THE
OVEREXPLOITATION AND SEA POLLUTION
Mediterranean red coral

Red tuna

Mediterranean turtle
THE DEMANDS OF WATER ARE SUPPLIED
BY

AQUIFERS

WATER TRANSFERS FROM

OTHER COMMUNITIES

SEA WATER DESALATION (70% OF THE

COAST POPULATION DRINK
DESALINATED WATER)

REUSE OF TREATED
WASTEWATER
 ALICANTE IS AN AGRICULTURE AREA
AND IT ORIGINATES
OVEREXPLOITATION AND
SOIL AND AQUIFERS
SALINIZATION OF AQUIFERS
CONTAMINATION
DUE TO MARINE INTRUSION
 ALICANTE HAS A LOT OF WETLAND
ECOSYSTEMS WITH A GREAT VALUE AND
FRAGIL STABILITY
The 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 .