Author(s): Catuxa Novo Estebanez; Juan Ramon Fernandez Cardenete; Francisco Javier Sanchez Gutierrez; Rafael Lopez Sierra

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Keywords: Renaturalization; Water quality; Biodiversity; Sustainable development goals; Hydraulic historical heritage tem services

Abstract: The Alhambra and Generalife use water from the Darro River to irrigate cultivated areas and for the vast majority of hydraulic elements (pools, fountains, ditches, etc.). The water reaches the system loaded with nutrients, in addition the high summer temperatures can generate maintenance problems, with episodes of filamentous algae and cyanobacteria that cause bad odors and inadequate aesthetics. To avoid the proliferation of this type of communities, the introduction of ornamental fish (cyprinids) had been common practice. But this generated other derived problems, such as the turbidity of the water due to the removal of sediments and the excretions of the fish themselves, with an effective loss of biodiversity in them and poor aesthetic quality. For almost 10 years it has been opted for the renaturation of a large part of the pools. To this end, the non-native fish have been removed, autochthonous aquatic vegetation and caráceous algae have been planted, the structures have been adapted to avoid drowning of fauna, a green filter has been installed at the headwaters and biological management of the water bodies is carried out. These renatured pools present a clear improvement in the quality of the waters and in their appearance. In addition, there is an explosion of beneficial fauna for the environment, contributing to significantly increase the biodiversity of the ecosystems that are managed and their environmental health. Currently, the Board of the Alhambra directly manages 136 hectares of land, which have become a green lung for the city of Granada and a source of ecosystem services. In this environment, water is one of the main components of the different ecosystems that compose it, with 164 species of vertebrates, with 5 species of amphibians associated with these water masses, in addition to a large number of invertebrates. It should be noted that the group of amphibians is the most threatened in the world of terrestrial vertebrates, due to the loss of breeding habitats due to changes in land use, including contamination of water and soil, aggravated by the current climatic context, especially worrisome in the arid Iberian southeast. The renaturation has meant a reduction in the use of algaecides and chlorines, for the maintenance of the main hydraulic elements, a verifiable improvement in the quality of the waters, an increase in biodiversity in the environment, a support to the fight against pests in cultivated areas and a clear sensory improvement of the pools. Contributing this type of management to the objectives of sustainable development 3 Health and well-being, 6 Clean water and sanitation and 15 life of terrestrial ecosystems.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/IAHR-39WC2521711920221788

Year: 2022