Criterios éticos en el uso de los recursos hídricos

Abstract

Anyone, regardless of their beliefs or even their unbelief, is engraved with an ethical code that makes him perceive water as an essential resource for life. That perception or intellectual apprehension can and should be illustrated by scientific knowledge and contribute thus to manage the resource in a satisfactory manner for current and future generation. The Laudatio si of Pope Francis has put more emphasis, if possible, on issues of inter and intragenerational solidarity. In many of the decisions made on water management or governance, underlies an ethical layer. Water is the lifeblood of nature and has an economic value. Knowing reconcile both facets or even prioritize has a strong ethical burden. Decisions taken should be done on a scientific and technical basis to report on alternatives within a framework of caution and moderation. Apart from the universal human right of access to drinking water, must keep in mind that nature constitutes a user who claims their rights (water quality, environmental flows, maintenance of wetlands). Man with his technological power threatens the quantity and quality of water and the principle of basin unit, implicit in nature, to be affected by the transfers of extensive debate in Spain especially in times of drought. Topics such as overexploitation of water resources (surface and groundwater), climate change and its influence on the components of the hydrological cycle (including aquifer recharge overlap in many cases anthropogenic activities relating to land use within basins), involve making decisions with a strong ethical component. The transparent citizen participation in the decision-making process (governance) is key to finding appropriate, fair and solidarity solutions.