Abstract
his paper is related to the advantages of conjunctive water resources use (surface water and groundwater use) on the Duero River Basin (Spain), considering a climate change and drought effect on water resources. The objective is to analyze possible impacts in a complex wa-ter resources system when extreme phenomena affect the case study. A brief analysis of drought recurrence through the SPI index (Standardized Precipitation Index) is made, focusing specifical-ly into two contrasted exploitation systems with higher groundwater demand and surface inter-change. Because of storage capability and low water movement speed, the use of aquifers as de-posits and reservoirs is a high priority in the area. These natural deposits shall be used during drought periods and as extra guarantee against future climate change needs. However, the aquifer exploitation must attend a systemic study of actual and future water needs, considering a sustain-able exploitation by extracting what is needed during scarcity and recharging during abundance. Finally, considering the flexibility added to a conjunctive water resources system by its manage-ment, some proposed scenarios are analyzed to contribute on the understanding of management in the water resources system studied.
