Characterization of irrigated holdings in the Terra Chá region of Spain: A first step towards a water management model

The European Union's Water Framework Directive, and in Spain the National Irrigation Plan, call for the sustainable and integrated use of water resources. Here we report the results of a questionnaire administered to irrigation users in the Terra Chá region of northwest Spain, as the basis for a water management model, and to allow identification of a representative subsample of respondents for ongoing monitoring of irrigation use in this region. The proposed management model should fulfill the dual aims of sustainable water management, namely to promote long-term social and economic development and at the same time ensure long-term environmental protection.