Keys to the recovery of traditional irrigated agriculture. New contexts and territorial functions for old agricultures

Abstract

We have borne witness to a certain resurgence of traditional and historical irrigation over the past few years, with the focus on heritage and landscape values; and this serves as an incentive for this irrigation to be brought back into use. What has survived is very different to the original irrigation, however, and the chance of its being restored depends on its current characterization. This points to an analysis of the processes in which it has been involved.

As spatial contexts and landscapes have changed, so the roles that historical irrigation was to play have changed with a mix of new (landscape, heritage, spatial, socio-recreational) functionalities added to its traditional production-linked purpose, and it cannot respond to all of these in the same way. This article analyses these aspects in Andalusia and presents two basic models of traditional inherited irrigation (periurban-coastal and rural-mountain) that could serve as guidance to public policies aimed at its protection, management and/or administration.