A model to study the consequences of human actions in the Guadalquivir River Estuary

Abstract

Estuaries are places located in the transition region between rivers and seas. Their waters may be used for navigation and fishing and their lands for farming activities. They are among the most productive, complex and vulnerable ecosystems on Earth. Despite their fragility, they have been suffering the effects of many human interventions, such as the occupation of plains, modification of channels, meander cuts and deepening works and control of the flowing water. This situation has been a constant source of conflict of interests and competencies between users and the administration due to the adoption of uncoordinated and inefficient management decisions. The Guadalquivir River Estuary (hereinafter GRE), located in the southwest of Spain, is a hot spot that is not alien to this situation.