Integrated Water Resource Management in the Macaronesia.

In island territories, effective management of water resources is of vital importance to avoid situations of water stress, especially in the hottest months of the year. The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is a European regulation that has been correctly implemented in the islands that make up the Macaronesia, especially in the Canary Islands, while in Cape Verde, it is the Water Code - Framework Regulation, through which hydrological planning is conducted from the point of view of the WFD and Cape Verde Appliances (CA). This paper describes the water management situation in Macaronesia and analyses in greater depth the specific case of the Canary Islands. As a general conclusion, all the islands, being of volcanic origin and sharing a common geolocation, share similar characteristics such as high tourism, importance of agriculture and high pressure on groundwater resources, as well as a boom in seawater desalination. All these characteristics influence water management in Macaronesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]