Public Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Groundwater and Climate Change: The Case of the Barbate River Basin

This work presents some of the results obtained from a survey research that is currently being conducted among water users in the Barbate River basin area. The purpose of the survey questionnaires is to evaluate the use, opinions and extent of knowledge of the local population about water resources, especially groundwater, in the region. The questionnaires are also aimed at assessing citizens’ perception of potential impacts on surface and groundwater resources, their evolution in the last decades regarding aspects such as quantity and quality, or the effects of climate change among others through the lens of their own experience. This information is of major importance in a space such as the Barbate River basin, where the marked seasonal pattern of precipitation, the prevalence of the primary sector (agriculture and livestock farming) as the main economic engine of the region and the increasing pressures and demands on hydrogeological systems are decisive factors in the development of management strategies. First-hand knowledge of citizens’ perception is crucial to promote the cooperation between water users, manage conflicts and create synergies in a context of global change.