Water Management in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: The Village of Pampaneira at the Barranco de Poqueira Heritage Site

Recent changes in how water resources are managed in the Alpujarra – a vulnerable region on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada in Andalusia, Spain – are contributing to the degradation of formerly lush landscapes, which are now becoming increasingly arid under the pressure of global climate change. Poor water management practices risk pushing the environment beyond a point of no return, making recovery impossible unless the current climate emergency is addressed. It is therefore necessary to learn from the millennia-old culture and traditional processes of adaptation and resilience that have enabled communities in this region to thrive without overexploiting or depleting natural resources. This paper examines the village of Pampaneira, located in the Barranco de Poqueira, a heritage site within the Sierra Nevada UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The village has historically practiced a unique and sustainable approach to water management, supporting human consumption, agriculture, daily activities, energy production and bioclimatic mechanisms established in the municipality.