Integration of physical environment in comprehensive water resource management in La Marina Baja region (Alicante)

The collective use of resources requires the planned and coordinated use of a variety of sources. The proportions in which the quantities of water from one source or another are combined will depend on the stage of the natural water cycle, the current reserves within the system, both surface water and that stored in aquifers, the quality available and, above all, the objectives set for the exploitation of the system. And here is where we focused the presented paper, the delimitation of the physical system in Marina Baja District. We believe that physical integration of water resources occurs when resources are used in a complementary manner, with demand which is both identifiable and in keeping with available resources, and with a certain margin for manoeuvre, all guaranteed by a legal framework which assures the securing of resources at optimal levels of quantity and quality in order to satisfy consolidated and forecast demand in a sustainable manner.