The opaque lagoon. Water management and governance in l'Albufera de Valencia wetland (Spain)

The Albufera de Valencia is a complex anthropogenic waterscape, constructed by different social groups over centuries. Today water management in the protected wetland remains opaque, much like the water in the eutrophic lagoon. Four major organizations manage this natural heritage, which remains torn between nature conservation and rice growing, in a jigsaw of overlapping jurisdictions and crisscrossed visions. Water management in this socioecological-system is complex and contested, and takes place within a changing scenario due to recent variations in the water quality and quantity budgets. This paper analyses this changing socio-ecological system based on interviews with stakeholders, and advocates for a new model of management based on shared governance, mediation and transparent data.