Irrigated agricultural lands, territory and rural development

This article analyses how the topics linked to water management have changed in social perception and political agenda in Spain. From a hydraulic and agricultural-oriented logic it has shifted toward other more integral and multifunctional one, where the Ministry of Environment is the most relevant player. In such a social and political context, the new orientations of rural development policies are analysed, particularly in relation to the sustainable management of water resources in forming sector and their implications on territory. The authors propose a typology of irrigable areas in Spain, and analyse the process of implementation of the new European Regulation on Rural Development (Reg. 169012005). The conclusion is that this new policy could be a useful tool to promote the environmental sustainability of these areas only if there was a good coordination between agricultural and environmental departments at the regional level.