Cruz-Pérez, Noelia http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1279-0823
Rodríguez-Martín, Jesica
García, Celso
Rodríguez-Lozano, Pablo
Tirado, Dolores
García-Gil, Alejandro
Santamarta, Juan C.
Funding for this research was provided by:
Universidad de la Laguna
Article History
Received: 8 November 2022
Accepted: 11 July 2023
First Online: 2 August 2023
Declarations
:
: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
: This study has sought to identify the main greenhouse gas emissions linked to the production of drinking water in the Balearic Islands (Spain). The production of drinking water in the Spanish archipelagos is a great challenge due to the great pressures on aquifers in highly touristic regions and a growing population. The intention has been to link the production of drinking water with its effect on climate change through the energy consumed by this sector. Importance has been given to the water-energy nexus through the calculation of the carbon footprint, which mainly establishes the emissions generated by the consumption of fossil fuels necessary for the production of drinking water, especially in those installations that require the most energy, such as seawater desalination plants or the extraction of water from wells. The aim is to raise public awareness of the importance of implementing renewables to prevent water consumption from putting extra stress on the planet, especially in areas that are highly dependent on desalination. It is also hoped that this study will be useful for regional water governance and help decision-making to improve the ecological transition in the sector.