Study site description: Guadalentín Basin, Spain

Table of Contents

1. Responsible partner
2. General Information
3. Biophysical description
   1. Climate, geology and geomorphology
   2. Soil, vegetation and land use
   3. Land use change
   4. Groundwater, water transfers, and irrigation
4. Socio-economic description
   1. Demography and education
   2. Livelihood, migration, land conversion and land degradation
5. Institutional and political setting
6. Relevant stakeholders
7. Past and ongoing projects in the Guadalentín
   1. Previous assessments of erosion rates and land degradation
   2. Conceptual frameworks and model applications
8. References

Socio-economic description

The Guadalentín is as socio-economically diverse as it is biophysically. The population is becoming increasingly concentrated in the cities as people move from the rural areas. In rural areas the main income is from agriculture, either non-irrigated or, more recently, irrigated. The Murcia region is a major exporter of citrus and horticultural produce to the rest of Europe.