THE INTEGRATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION (SEA) IN SPATIAL PLANNING THE CASE OF THE OF

Julia Cambronero

Msc Thesis

Supervisors: Francisco Victoria Jumilla

Marina Berger Jensen

Submission date: 19/11/2018 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

1. INTRODUCTION……………………..……………………….………5

2. BACKGROUND THEORY……………….……………………….…..9

2.1 Spatial, socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the ...9

2.2 Climatic characteristics and vulnerability to climate change in the Region of Murcia…………………………………………………………………………………..11

2.3 Climate change and water. Impact on water resources……………………………...14

2.3.1 Water consumption and demands in the region of Murcia. A scarce resource…………………………………………………………………………14

2.4.2 How urban planning affects water resource: problems an innovatives solutions………………………………………………………………………...23

2.4 Conceptual framework: SEA and climate change………………………………….28

2.5 The urban planning of the territory in the Region of Murcia………………………...36

2.6 Strategic documents of climate change: EU, , Region of Murcia……………...40

3. METHODS…………………………………………………………….47

4. RESULTS……………………………………………………………...48

4.1 How climate change is integrated in the SEA reports of urban planning. Study of cases………………………………………………………………………….48

4.2 Interviews with experts……………………….…………………………….58

5. DISCUSSION………………………………………………………….66

6. CONCLUSION…………………………………………………….….71

REFERENCES……………………………..…………………………………………73

APPENDIX I

APPENDIX II

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

BAT Best Avaibale Technology

EEA European Environmental Agency

GHG Greenhouse Gases

PP Plan and Programs

UNEP Environment Program

SPAB Special Protection Area for Birds

SHC Hydrographic Confederation

WFD Water Framework Directive

1. INTRODUCTION

The Region of Murcia is a Region highly vulnerable to climate change due to its geoclimatic and socio-economic characteristics.

It is increasingly evident that migratory movements and armed conflicts are related to changes in climate. Currently there are conflicts in this area due to water shortage, a resource strongly linked to agricultural activity, a sector of great relevance in the Region of Murcia.

The Working Group of Experts of the Climate Change Observatory of the Region of Murcia concluded that in 2017 the average temperature of the Region stood at 17.3º (in 1961 it was 16.3º) and it was a particularly dry year with an average annual 203 mm (the average from 1961 to 2014 was 307 mm.) (Bañón JM, 2018). Also, there is a tendency to increase heat waves (persistence over time of abnormally high temperatures in both maximum and minimum), an increase between 2 and 3 days per decade in the last 65 years (Victoria F., 2016)

If the analysis of data evolution is considered, it is foreseen for the different scenarios defined in AR5 (Fifth IPCC report), having as reference period 1960-2000 (Victoria F., 2016), the following scenario:

• Temperature, by the middle of the century, an accumulated increase between 1.5 and 3º and between 2.5 and 4º for the maximum temperatures for the end of the 21st century, and the accumulated increase for the minimum temperatures between 1 and 2º for the middle of the century and 2 and 3.5º for the end of the century.

On the other hand, warm days will increase between 10 and 20% by mid-century and between 30 and 40% by the end of the year. This is especially serious in a Region that in the months of July and August many days exceed the maximum 40%, with effects on health when episodes with heat spikes are not punctual but they last many days.

• Precipitations point to decreases of around 10% by the middle of the century and between 10 and 20% by the end of the 21st century.

• Regarding sea level, according to estimates by Puertos del Estado, a rise of 12 to 22 centimetres is foreseen for the next 35 years, taking into account the trend of the data recorded by tide gauges in the last 20 years.

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Therefore, we are facing a Region of the Mediterranean Arc, located in the southeast of Spain in which the effects of climate change are worrisome and increasingly will be more, with forecasts of increased temperatures, less rain, desertification and rise of the sea level.

In spite of this panorama, on the part of the authorities of the Region of Murcia have not tackled blunt measures as far as the mitigation and adaptation, to confront the future negative effects of the climatic change. Currently there is no standard and the Climate Change Strategy is under development.

On the other hand, we find a Region of great contrasts, where there is a huge biodiversity and variety of landscapes, but there is also a great lack of urban control.

Therefore, with the imposition of mitigation and adaptation measures to climate change in environmental assessment processes, and specifically through the SEA of the urban plans, there is an opportunity to assume these measures as they are part of the plan. Compulsory reports.

As established by the European Directive DIRECTIVE 2001/42 / EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programs on the environment (EU, 2001), impacts of climate change must be included in the environmental assessment process, which is why It offers a great opportunity to incorporate effective forms of mitigation and adaptation to climate change in urban planning.

The main objective of this study is to know and analyse how the climate change report is prepared and integrated into the Environmental Assessment in the Region of Murcia. And because of the great impact it has in a particularly arid region, special reference will be made to the problem of water scarcity and the incorporation of adaptation measures to this situation.

Therefore, from this study we intend to analyse weaknesses and strengths in the incorporation of climate change (mitigation and adaptation) in the environmental assessment procedure in urban spatial plans.

First, before addressing the objectives pursued, a presentation is made of the main territorial, demographic, socioeconomic, environmental and political characteristics of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia - hereinafter, Region of Murcia - in order to show where we find and contextualize this work.

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The following shows the climatic characteristics and vulnerability to climate change in this Region, with special reference to water, supplies and consumption, and how it affects urban planning (soil sealing and possible solutions: sustainable drainage systems).

In third place, the description and explanation of the conceptual framework becomes necessary before procedures, documents and reports that have a certain complexity: procedure of environmental evaluation, urban regulations and strategic documents of climate change.

The fourth section, based on the study and synthesis of five cases in the Region of Murcia, shows how climate change reports are made for urban plans as part of the environmental assessment report.

Fifth, the vision of 5 key people in the Region in relation to the subject of this work is offered through the corresponding interviews that have been made to each one of them.

Finally, the conclusions are addressed.

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2. BACKGROUND THEORY

2.1 Spatial and socioeconomic characteristics of the Region of Murcia

The Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia is located in the southeast of the . It occupies a total area of 11,314 km2, which represents 2.2% of Spain. Located in the middle of the Mediterranean area, it the province of to the east; to the west with and Almeria; to the north with and to the south with the .

It has 274 km of coastline bordering the Mediterranean Sea and the . Its coast is cliffy and rocky, interrupted by beaches and coves, where an enormous variety of ecosystems meet: salt flats, wetlands, dunes and beaches.

The Mar Menor, a 135.2 km2 coastal lagoon, 73 km of perimeter and one of the largest coastal lagoons in and the largest in the Iberian Peninsula, should be noted for its uniqueness. It is separated from the Mediterranean Sea by La Manga, an extension of land of 23 km in length and variable width of 100 and 1,200m, highly urbanized. The Mar Menor communicates with the Mediterranean Sea through five goles or channels (Barragán, 2016). Scientific articles have echoed the future disappearance of La Manga as a consequence of the rise in sea level due to climate change (-Graña, 2018)

It is also included in the domain of the Betic Cordilleras, and comprises a quite rugged territory in which alternating mountain alignments of southwest-northeast direction with valleys, large depressions and plains. It has 8 mountains with altitude greater than 1,500 m. The highest point is located in the massif of Revolcadores, with 2,027 m.

Towards the south the altitude of the reliefs diminishes. Before reaching the coast the relief draws the wide agricultural depression of the (Baraza F., 2003).

Regarding the distribution of land uses, the surface is distributed as follows, according to the Global Atlas of the Region of Murcia (Source: Corine Land Cover, 2000):

• Artificial, 3.1%

• Agricultural, 53%

• Forestry, 37.5%

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• Wetlands: 0.1%

A very strong agricultural sector has to be highlighted, with an intensive horticultural agriculture highly technified in drip irrigation and in the agri-food industry.This sector are going to be very influenced by the consequences of climate change.

Environmental and landscape characteristics

Regarding its environmental and landscape characteristics, in just eleven thousand square kilometres there is a huge environmental variety.

The Region of Murcia is an area between European and North African influences, with a landscape of contrasts. In this territory it is easily passed from the arid basins of the peninsular south, with steppe environments, to the forest masses of the inland sierras, to the fertile plains that form the Segura river and from there to the Mediterranean Sea

Due to its singularity, the arid landscapes represented in the so-called "badlands" stand out, lands covered by the action of water on soft materials. (Campano, 2009) Another environment is the coastal zone, half of the areas that currently make up the Network of Protected Natural Spaces of the Region of Murcia are linked to this coastal strip, and as a single area, as already mentioned, it is the Mar Menor, a coastal lagoon of salt water of 180 km2, separated from the Mediterranean by the sandy bar of La Manga (Barragán, 2016).

The Mar Menor is a space with several protection figures (LIC, ZEPA, RAMSAR) with a high landscape value, immersed in a great environmental and social conflict in recent years due to environmental degradation due to eutrophication processes due to nitrates from of agriculture in the surrounding areas (Campo de Cartagena).

In the Region of Murcia there are paradisiacal virgin beaches, no doubt for the protection of the Natura 2000 Network that covers 24% of the territory of the Region, but this regulation did not arrive in time to protect this coastal strip in urbanized excess to almost the line of coast (Murcia Natural, 2018).

The dual character of this territory has a protagonist: the Segura River, within the Segura hydrographic basin, around which a large part of the Murcian geography is articulated. Since its birth in Pontones (Jaén) the Segura floods the rice fields of , forms the deep canyon of Los Almadenes and waters the valleys of the Moorish valley of

9 and the Huerta de Murcia. Its accused low water levels and strong floods have led to the construction of 16 regulatory reservoirs to ensure urban supply and agricultural, at the same time that they serve for the plan of defence against the avenues (Campano 2009). Along the Segura River there are large metropolitan areas, such as the capital Murcia.

The landscape of the Region of Murcia, which, as in the rest of Europe, is not immune to the strong pressures to which the changes in the way of life, economy and progress subject it, and adoption is therefore necessary of policies and measures not only to protect it, but to take advantage of its enormous potential as a generator of quality of life on the one hand and wealth on the other.

2.2 Climatic characteristics and vulnerability to climate change in the Region of Murcia

The warming of the global climatic system is a reality, and the human influence has been a dominant cause (IPCC, 2013). It is global, with the most significant local impacts occurring in certain , among which the Mediterranean stands out. The Report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) (2008), Impacts of Climate Change in Europe, noted the high vulnerability of mountain and coastal areas as well as the Arctic and the Mediterranean. This reality was introduced already at the fourth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) considering that there is a high probability that many semi-arid regions such as the Mediterranean basin, will suffer a significant decline in water availability due to climate change.

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Figure 1 Potential vulnerability to climate change 2009. (ESPON Climate Project, 2009)

The Region of Murcia is considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change within the European Union, due to its geographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Forecasts obtained from models place it as a region where a further increase in temperature and decrease in precipitation is expected. Climate change, on the other hand, is a problem closely related to human development, growth and consumption patterns. One of the difficulties in addressing climate change lies precisely in its overarching and cross-sectoral characteristics. Territorial disconnection between emissions and impacts, systems vulnerability, the difficulty of achieving proper coordination among the various administrations, and the involvement of stakeholders in decision- making processes, are additional problems for the adaptive capacity to cope with its effects. Spain experienced, since 1995, an important economic development, higher than the European average, which the current economic recession is now seriously

11 threatening (Pérez García et al., 2011). In addition, the country witnessed a social growth, with a significant increase in population, all of which translated into a growing contribution of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and climate change consequences. For instance, increased steadily between years 1996 and 2005 (Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente, 2013a). Another important element when addressing climate change in the Region of Murcia and is its political and jurisdiction organisation, since competences related to climate change (transport, industry, agriculture and environment, among others) are often shared between the Central Administration and the Regional Governments (Autonomous Regions) and, to a lesser extent, the municipalities.

According to the IPCC the temperature in the 21st century will rise by 1,8 ºC and 4,1 ºC, depending on the different climate scenarios that are considered. Also an increase in sea level is expected, between 40 and 63 centimetres. (IPCC, 2013).

La Region de Murcia, located in the mediterranean area is very exposed to the effects of climate change. This area, is being profoundly altered because of the climatic changes that are taking place. In the period from 1961 to 2014 the temperature has increased 0.7 ºC, rising from 16.3 ºC to 17 ºC. The temperature increase has been much more pronounced in the last 40 years (Figure 1) (Victoria Jumilla, 2010).

Figure 1. Average annual temperature in the Region of Murcia between 1961 and 2012 (Francisco Victoria,2016)

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Figure 2. Scenario AdapteCCa for a 90 year period. Maximum temperature. RCP 8.5. Region of Murcia. (Escenarios.adaptecca.es, 2018) The consequences of these climatic changes will have throughout the XXI century on the region of Murcia will bring consequences as major droughts, in a region where water is a controversial issue for its scarcity. As well as the increase in the duration of heat waves as a result of the increase in temperatures between 2 and 4 degrees. Annual rainfall will decrease between 5% and 10%. Therefore, there will be a significant decrease in available water resources towards the end of the century (Victoria Jumilla, 2016).

Figura 3. Scenario AdapteCCa for a 90 year period. Precipitation.. RCP 8.5. Region of Murcia. (Escenarios.adaptecca.es, 2018)

This increase in temperatures and decrease in precipitation for a period of 90 years is clearly shown in the climate models generated in Fig 2 and Fig 3. These climatic scenarios have been generated for the case of the Region of Murcia, thanks to the tool provided by the state meteorological agency (AEMET, 2018), AdapteCCA. The regionalized climate change projections are obtained from the projections calculated with global climate models to which regionalization techniques are applied to obtain results on a smaller scale, necessary for the analysis of possible impacts (Salazar, E. et al., 2016)

2.3 CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER. IMPACT ON WATER RESOURCES

2.3.1 Water consumption and demands in the region of Murcia. A resource ever more scarce.

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This section offers a vision of the relationship between climate change and water scarcity. It is intended to show what the water resource means in the Region of Murcia. The following sections are addressed:

• The Segura Hydrographic Basin

• Water resources:

• Natural water resources • Non-conventional water resources: own resources as filtering and reuse, and desalination, and external as transfers. • Reference to Irrigation Communities, water management organizations

• Water demands

This is one of the statements made by the Head of the Hydrological Planning Service of the Segura Hydrographic Confederation (SHC), which is one of the experts interviewed for this work, Jaime Fraile, states:

"That climate change aggravates water scarcity, is not a belief is a reality. The series of contributions in the CHS has already seen a reduction in available resources of 18% in the 2009-2015 plan compared to the figures of the 1998 plan”

Therefore, in this case, it is an evidence based on a quantifiable reality the relationship between climate change and the hydrological cycle.

The Region of Murcia is characterized for being an arid territory with great water shortage. That water is a source of life is something that is embodied in the genetic code of Murcia from ancestral times. If it were necessary to look for a characteristic geographical feature for the Region de Murcia, this could be the aridity.

Murcia is located in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, precisely the European Region where the shortage of rainfall is more severe. With this phrase the Region of Murcia is characterized in relation to the water resource: "Murcia and the water, the story of a passion" (Vera P., Martín A.M.).

The shortage of water is and will be the cause of important conflicts and even wars. In this sense the documentary "Age of Consequences", reflects the catastrophic effects in

14 the serious conflicts, the conflict in Syria, migrations, humanitarian crisis, global instability (Doc NYC, 2016).

Likewise, in the European Union document "Shared Vision, Common Action: A Stronger Europe. Global Strategy for the European Union's Foreign and Security Policy" (EU, 2016), This threat is identified, climate change is a factor that multiplies threats by causing water and food shortages, and therefore, pandemics and displacement.

Likewise, the European Commission, within the Seventh Framework Program for Research and Innovation, has been committed to promoting research clusters in this area. In the document "Climate Change Impacts on Water and Security in Southern Europe and Neighboring Regions" (EU, 2011a), already highlighted from the beginning, the Mediterranean region is experiencing a wide range of threats in relation to water safety, conflicts among social, political, ecological and economic actors.

The uncertainties to address adequate measures to adapt to climate change on the part of the regions are also highlighted in this document. Prediction and hydrological models have great complexity, which is why it is considered that research and knowledge sharing should be promoted.

In the Region of Murcia, the issue of water, scarcity, can be considered highly sensitive, since there are different positions on how to address this problem.

The coast of southeastern Spain where the Region of Murcia is located, as well as all the spanish Mediterranean is an arid or semi-arid area, with scarce water resources. The water has become a resource of vital importance for socioeconomic development, especially for the tourism sector and agriculture (Morote and Hernández, 2017).

Water is one of the natural resources whose scarcity is affecting the environment more and which suffers the effects of climate change because the scarcity of rain is accentuated, whith more frecuent extreme episodes. Floods and droughts are the most common atmospheric hazards in the Mediterranean area, which have forced human beings, from historical times, to adapt the implementation of economic activities and urban centers to these climatic extremes (Olcina et al., 2018).

The evidence of the interrelation between climate change and the worsening of water scarcity in the most vulnerable areas is shown in multiple scientific studies. In

15 approximately one century, anthropogenic climate change without ambitious mitigation policies will likely alter ecosystems in the Mediterranean, in a way that is without precedent during the past 10 millennia "(Guiot J., Cramer W. 2016)

The Region of Murcia combines a large water deficit, but at the same time it has a mild climate and a very productive land for agricultural production. This has led to Murcia put all the means to take advantage of every last drop of water, through the necessary infrastructures from ancient times, both for the supply to the population, as for economic development, from traditional systems (such as wells) to basin transfers, wastewater reuse systems and desalination.

Within the framework of the European Union, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) (EU, 2000), establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy), has involved a substantial change in European water legislation. Its objectives are to prevent deterioration and improve the state of aquatic ecosystems and promote the sustainable use of water.

To comply with the requirements of the WFD, the Spanish State, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, is competent in the works, administration and control of the water of the Segura Basin, since it is a basin that runs through several Autonomous Communities, and its control is exercised through a Basin Organization, the Segura Hydrographic Confederation (CHS). The Organisms of the different basins that there are in Spain work on the Drought Plans and on denominated “National Plan of the Water”.

Spain has the Drought Plans, planning instruments to alert against possible droughts. It is currently being revised in 2018 (May 2018). The objective of the revision of Drought Plans, together with the hydrological planning is to anticipate the cyclical situations of scarcity typical of our , which are aggravated by climate change (CHS, 2006). The objectives are intended to reach the maximum consensus and participation, taking into consideration the water resources existing in Spain.

The issue of water, as regards supplies from other basins, is a subject of great conflict in Spain. It is a clear sign that water scarcity, aggravated by climate change is a source of serious conflicts in many areas of the world, and this problem will affect the Mediterranean ecosystems.

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According to the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET, 2018) the month of April 2018 is the fifth driest of the XX and XXI centuries, after those that took place in the years 2000, 2008, 2014 and 2015. The average rainfall of the 2007- 2016 decade was 303.3 l/ m2, with an average of sun hours of 3.088, and more than 115 days with temperatures of more than 30º.

In these circumstances, campaigns to raise awareness among the population to achieve water savings are very frequent. Recently, the Community of Taibilla Canels, an Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture, whose functions are the supply of drinking water to 80 towns in a primary network (catchment, purification or desalination, conduction and storage in reserve deposits), has launched a campaign of awareness under the slogan 'Water you waste today you will need tomorrow'.

Water resources:

According to information obtained in the Diagnosis Document of the Circular Economy Strategy of the Region of Murcia (Region of Murcia, 2018a), the water stocks in the reservoirs of the Segura Basin have been decreasing considerably in the last years. If in 2014 these inventories were 677.5 Hm3, which represented 59% of the total capacity, in 2016 they were reduced to 311.9 Hm3, 27% of the total capacity of the reservoirs.

Figure 4. Diagnostic for the circular economy strategy. (Region de Murcia, 2018)

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The information on the water resources available in the Segura Basin is summarized, where the Murcia Region is located, according to the Report of the "Segura Basin Hydrological Plan for the 2015-2021 Segura Demarcation" (CHS, 2014). These resources are constituted by:

• Own conventional water resources (or natural resources: includes the contributions of the rivers and those that feed the natural water, surface and underground storage). And unconventional (such as reuse or desalination),

• External water resources (transfers from other basins).

-Own conventional or natural water resources:

Most of the total water resources (46%) are constituted by natural water resources: the rivers and those that feed natural water storage, superficial or underground.

The natural surface water resources considered, are those corresponding to the Segura River, which is born in the province of Jaén (in Santiago de Pontones), runs through 4 provinces (Jaén, Albacete, Murcia and Alicante) and flows into the Mediterranean in the (in ), after a journey of 3325 km.

Surface water resources are regulated through large dams. The total capacity of reservoirs in the territorial scope of the CHS is approximately 1,141 hm3.

. In the Segura Hydrographic Demarcation, the average annual total precipitation is around 385.5 mm (series 1940 / 41-2011 / 12) and 374.9 mm (series 1980 / 81-2011 / 12). So, rainfall is scarce. The annual and spatial distribution of these precipitations is characterized by heterogeneity, having quite rainy months (mainly the months of autumn and spring) and dry months (summer).

The unconventional own water resources:

• Filtering and Reuse: the Region of Murcia is in a situation of structural water deficit for decades. For this reason, in the last decades investments have been made to improve the water cycle, affecting the efficiency of their distribution and the treatment of effluents. Hence, its capacity to purify wastewater (99.1%) and its reuse rate (94.5%) is very noteworthy.

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There are no significant discharges of purified water to the sea, so that almost all the urban returns of the treatment plants are reused directly or indirectly

With this tendency, wastewater is increasingly seen as a resource for obtaining clean water as a waste in itself. Thus, one of the axes of action of the Circular Economy Strategy of Spain (MAPAMA, 2018) contemplates the reuse of water as an instrument to deal with water scarcity, pursuing a better adaptation to climate change, as part of integrated water management.

In this sense, the Region of Murcia has done a good job. According to the data of the Sanitation Entity of the Region of Murcia (ESAMUR, 2018), the 99.1% of the wastewater was treated in 2015, which means a volume of 105 Hm3 and corresponds to a equivalent population of 2,105,000 inhabitants. Of this amount, about 94.5% is reused, mainly for agricultural irrigation, assuming a volume close to 100 Hm3.

• Desalinization plants: since 2008 the proliferation of desalination plants should also be highlighted. There are 13 desalination plants supplying water to territories of the Segura river basin.

In this way, the desalinated resources in the demarcation would reach 158 hm³ / year, of which 96 hm3 / year correspond to irrigation and 62 hm³ / year to urban, industrial and service use.

The external water resources. Transfers from other basins:

The transfer of the basin of the Tajo river to Segura is the very important in Spain for the volume of water. The Tajo-Segura Transfer was inaugurated in 1979 and has a length of 292 kilometres.

The cession of water from the head, which is located in the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha (the granter basin) to the Region of Murcia is used for human consumption, irrigation and other uses. This transfer has always been very controversial. The “Central Commission for the Use of the Tajo-Segura Aqueduct” is responsible for approving the quantities to be transferred from the Tajo basin to the Segura river, and these decisions must also be ratified by the Government of the Nation.

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The Spanish Law on Environmental Assessment, Law 21/2013, establishes that there must be minimum reserves in the granter basin, 400 hm in order to authorize the transfer to the receiving basin, and the amount that is transferred, must be 25% for human consumption and 75% for irrigation (Spain, 2013).

In addition, the Central Commission sets the price to be paid by the Hydrographic Confederation of Segura River, from the receiving basin (CHS) to the granter basin, in compensation.

The Tajo Segura Transfer, with 39 years of operation, has meant the guarantee of water supplies and the maintenance of the strategic agricultural sector in the Region of Murcia. Although, it is still a very controversial infrastructure, they even get to find in the media the expression "water war".

There is a constant opposition from the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha, where the water comes from the Tajo, which causes demonstrations in the Region of Murcia, The Tajo Segura Transfer, with 39 years of operation, has meant the guarantee of water supplies and the maintenance of the strategic agricultural sector in the Region of Murcia. Although, it is still a very controversial infrastructure, they even get to find in the media the expression "water war".

There is a constant opposition from the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha, where the water comes from the Tajo, which causes demonstrations This causes demonstrations in both Autonomous Communities

In this section dedicated to the water resource, it is of great interest to inform the Communities of Irrigators in the Region of Murcia. The Irrigation Communities are public institutions that are responsible for organizing the collective use of public surface and underground water. These are very old organizations in Spain. The farmers are grouped with the purpose of self-management to distribute irrigation water in an efficient and equitable way among its members.

These water self-management Systems were studied by Elinor Ostrom (Los Angeles 1933), an American political scientist. Ostrom's research reveals that the users of these

20 shared resources develop decision-making tools, as well as the resolution of conflicts of interest, with very positive results.

The shortage of water is a matter of special importance for the Region of Murcia, not so much for the supply, which normally, until now, is insured. Especially to ensure irrigated agriculture, which is a fundamental economic sector. This situation is of special concern due to the predicted reduction of water resources in the regions of the Mediterranean southeast due to climate change.

According to a study by the Center for Hydrological Studies of the (CEDEX), a medium-term scenario based on the reduction of water resources due to the effects of climate change is foreseen.

For the horizon 2041-2070, a reduction of resources in the Segura Basin of 17% is estimated for the surface and underground. The desalination of seawater has been selected by the Spanish water administration as the main supply alternative, but it is known that it entails a specific energy consumption much higher than conventional resources (CEDEX, 2011).

Water demands:

Following the data and information provided in the Report of the "Hydrological Plan of the Segura Basin 2015/2021" (CHS, 2014), the Region of Murcia, with a demand of 1.300 Hm3 of water per year, is in a situation of structural water deficit for decades.

Water demand in the Region of Murcia is led by the agricultural sector, with 1.112 Hm3, followed by consumption in the municipalities, with 137 Hm3. Less representative are the demands of the industry, the wetlands, which require ecological volumes, and the demand in other recreational uses, among which are the golf courses.

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Figure 5. Water demand by sector in the Region of Murcia (Hm3). (Diagnóstico de la Estrategia de Economía Circular de la Región de Murcia. Región de Murcia, 2018)

One of the main difficulties facing the reuse of water is the new European framework, which aims to increase its demand for contaminants emerging from treated water. On the other hand, the Region of Murcia participates in various European LIFE projects with the aim of improving and valuing treated water.

2.3.2 How urban planning affects water resources. Problems and innovatives solutions

Murcia, a historical Mediterranean City, with a rapidly growing population and increased urban development in the second half of the 20th Century, is a good example of a built- up area that has felt the effects of flooding and drought throughout its history; the impacts have been aggravated in recent decades by the city’s increasing vulnerability and exposure to these climate hazards. Many courses of action, both structural and territorial planning, have been taken to limit the consequences of these spells (Verdaguer, 2018).

Challenges for the urban water cycle

The atmospheric extremes of the Mediterranean climate constitute a challenge for the urban water cycle. Mediterranean cities must be prepared to withstand months of limited rainfall, while at the same time having to cope with torrential rain that causes flooding and waterlogging. What is required is hydrological and territorial planning “for extreme situations” that can guarantee water in a geographical zone subjected to periods of drought and with major urban demands for the resource (Navarra et al,, 2016) . This has to be achieved without a loss of human lives and considerable economic losses as a result of very heavy rainfall in short periods of time (Lionello et al., 2014).

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Water resource management in the arid and semi-arid Mediterranean regions like Murcia, is a complex task involving a large number of hydrological, environmental and management factors that must be considered when providing a supply that can guarantee and combine minimum quality of live levels while also protecting the environment. Droughts, which are so frequent in the Mediterranean Area, aggravate these problems still further. As it is not possible to accurately predict when they will occur and how long they will last, preparation and foresight are vital for reducing their impact (Estrela, T et al., 2012)

Figure 6 Urban planning challenges for water on the Mediterranean Coast. (Olcina Cantos et al., 2018)

In the Region of Murcia, there is a high risk of flooding caused by high hourly rainfall intensities. This is one of the significant geographical risks that have characterised its urban development from the dim and distant past right up to the present time (Perez Morales et al., 2016). Some of the districts have suffered from serious problems as a result of flash floods in the urban gullies, which have caused considerable economic damage and loss of life as mentioned in section

Future urban drainage challenges

Urban Sustainable Drainage Systems as measures for adapting to climate change Climate change is one of the biggest challenges that urban drainage will have to cope with in the coming years (Fryd et al., 2012). Theoretically climate change is due to both natural and

23 anthropogenic causes, but the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change uses the term “climate change” to refer only to changes brought about by humans, such as industrialisation or urban planning (which involve greater use of fossil fuels for domestic air conditioning, an increase in impervious surfaces, a reduction in the number of natural water masses and vegetation loss). Rainfall patterns changes are difficult to predict exactly and will vary from one region to another. However, it is expected that the changes will be greater in dry areas and that the areas susceptible to stormy weather will have to face more severe events (IPCC, 2007). Despite the need to urgently replace our energy sources with cleaner and renewable sources to tackle the causes of climate change, we will also have to prepare for present and future climate impacts. Cities’ ability to prosper in the face of rapid growth and a changing climate will depend on how they are planned, developed and managed in the coming decades (Warmsler et al,. 2013).

This means that there are a series of challenges that must be faced by built-up areas, where impervious surfaces prevent water from filtering down naturally. The conventional or historic drainage infrastructure in most cities is now old, collecting and transporting wastewater and rainwater together (unitary-system), and can prove insufficient and inefficient when it comes to managing these flow rates for which they were not designed, in flood situations (with adverse effects on people and possessions) and discharges from the unitary-systems (DSUs) with impact on the receiving environments (environmental, social and economic impact) (Yazdanfar, Z et al., 2015) Therefore, it would appear to be necessary to predict the magnitude of the effects of climate change on the hydrological cycle in order to be able to design drainage systems adapted to the future (Khare et al., 2013). Adapting these systems cannot be based exclusively on constructing a conventional infrastructure (enlarging collectors, constructing containment tanks, etc.), because this could prove economically unfeasible for most cities and may not be the most sustainable solution (Chau, L et al., 2013). In such cases, alternative technologies such as nature-based solutions or Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) should also be considered (Charlesworth et al., 2016). Nature-based solutions generally involve the sustainable use and management of nature to deal with social challenges such as climate change, water management, food security and disaster-risk management (Perales- Momparler, S et al., 2014) .

When attempting to minimise the negative effects of climate change on the environment and people’s health and welfare, territorial and urban planning strategies must pay special

24 attention to the climate information and the distribution of the land into different uses and activities. The objectives have to include predicting and preventing the deterioration of natural resources, endeavouring to make better use of them and adapting cities to the bioclimatic characteristics of the zone. In this sense, the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan proposes several actions including: developing and promoting bioconstruction, especially for all public buildings, or assessing the requirements of species and varieties of vegetation in parks and gardens in different climate change scenarios, because green spaces could become increasingly important, especially for counteracting the effects of temperature increases (Cambio Climatico, 2006). Sustainable Urban Drainage is one of the alternatives to the conventional approach that does much more than merely mitigate flooding and manage the quality of urban runoff water. SUDS can be defined as essential parts of the infrastructure (urban-hydraulic-landscape) whose purpose is to make up for the effects that construction and waterproofing cities have on the amount of rainwater runoff generated and its pollution level, by drawing it off, retaining it or filtering it into the ground, so that it does not undergo any deterioration, and even enabling the ground to naturally remove at least some of the contaminant load that it might have acquired during the previous urban runoff processes. All this is done in an attempt to reproduce as accurately as possible, the natural hydrological cycle before urbanisation or man’s activities (Zanon, 2013). There are several SUDS types, including the following: green roofs or ecological cover, permeable paving, filtration strips or drains, green roadsides, containment tanks, retaining stations, wetlands, etc (Fletcher, 2015).

The case of the municipality of Murcia

To focus this section the case of the municipality of Murcia in the Region of Murcia, shows the most significant advances in this area. Since the present, the sector has suffered a shortage of rainfall. The criticism of this situation increases until reaching the highest level of risk in the period 2020-2034. The increase in episodes of heat waves and minimum temperatures that reach a significant level in the short term, contributed to its intensification. Intense rains, very concentrated in the fall, although they are increasingly less frequent, more and more intense, and, therefore, capable of wreaking havoc of greater magnitude than those known up to now in the drainage network. Faced with the problem of water scarcity, it would be important to intensify the action in the management of the resource of demand, the City Council is working correctly and constantly in reducing

25 water losses in the supply network. The contamination of water masses will be caused by floods or water scarcity, will constitute a priority problem where to focus the action.

Climate change would affect the availability of renewable water in the entire municipality of Murcia, due to the accentuated phenomena of drought and heat waves that generate an increased need for water by different sectors of society. The intense rains would also know a certain recrudescence, due to climatic variability and would affect not only the freshwater management facilities, but also their quality.

This breadth of the sector, combined with the climatic and geomorphological characteristics of the municipality of Murcia, exposes you and makes you in charge of preventing numerous climatic hazards, be they those generated by extreme heat waves, frosts, gales or heavy rains with its physical impacts of landslides and floods. The intense rains would turn out to be at present and in the future the greatest danger to which the urbanism would be exposed, since historically it has generated numerous floods. The city of Murcia as a whole is under flood risk with a rate of return of 500 years. This rate could be reduced with the increase in the intensity of torrential rains due to the effect of climate change.

Although the town hall encourages the development of tree-lined streets with native vegetation adapted to the climate, which also contributes to the creation of shaded areas necessary to mitigate the impacts of sun exposure and increasingly intense heat and there are programs to improve the management of intense rain phenomena and, the Program of Measures of Public Administrations contained in the Hydrological Plan, integrates the needs of hydraulic works for Murcia to curb the risk of overflow of the drainage network such as spillways, storm tanks , interceptors and collectors of rainwater. Despite these measures taken both in the municipality of Murcia and in the Region of Murcia, the need to search for new measures to combat the water deficit and efficient urban planning is necessary to be able to face the effects of climate change that the Region of Murcia will suffer.

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2.4 THE STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA) AND THE INTEGRATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

This section is structured in the following subsections:

• THE REGULATION: DIRECTIVE 2001/42 / CE. Main objectives, actors and milestones of the SEA procedure • EFFECTIVENESS OF THE APPLICATION OF THE DIRECTIVE • THE INTEGRATION OF CLIMATIC CHANGE INTO THE SEA

THE REGULATION: DIRECTIVE 2001/42 / CE and some reference to Spanish law. Main objectives, actors and phases of the SEA procedure.

The procedure and requirements of the Strategic Environmental Assesment (SEA) are regulated in DIRECTIVE 2001/42 / EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of June 27 2001, on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment (hereinafter as Directive).

Its purpose is to evaluate the environmental impact of the application of plans and programmes. It is a complex procedure which consists of different reports, technical evaluations and public consultations.

Its main objective, as Article 1 of the Directive lays down, is to provide for a high level of protection of the environment and to contribute to the integration of environmental considerations into the preparation and adoption of plans and programmes with a view to promoting sustainable development, by ensuring that, in accordance with this Directive, an environmental assessment is carried out of certain plans and programmes which are likely to have significant effects on the environment”.

The process consists, from the beginning of the planning document, in evaluating the environmental effects of the plan or programme with data and information. Contributions from inquiries to authorities, interested parties and the public should be taken into account. The procedure concludes with the environmental report.

Since it is a directive, it must be transposed into the regulations of each Member State, and in the case of Spain it is transposed into Law 21/2013, of December 9, on Environmental Assessment. The Spanish law is substantially in line with the Directive.

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As it is basic regulation, the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia is also bound by this Law in the process of environmental evaluation.

Next, the aim is to reflect, clearly and concisely, the most important objectives and milestones of the environmental assessment procedure of plans and programmes. Later it will be shown how the climate change report is incorporated into the evaluation procedure.

SCOPE: in accordance with Article 3 of the Directive, an environmental assessment shall be carried out for plans and programmes which are likely to have significant environmental effects.

An environmental assessment shall be carried out for all plans and programmes which: a) Lead to projects (e.g. infrastructures, industrial factories) legally subject to environmental impact assessment and refer to agriculture, livestock, forestry, aquaculture, fisheries, energy, mining, industry, transport, waste management, management of water resources, occupation of the maritime-terrestrial public domain, use of the marine environment, telecommunications, tourism, urban or rural planning, or land use. b) Or require an evaluation for affecting Natura 2000 sites. c) Or, in certain cases, it is studied on a case-by-case basis if the plan or programme to be considered can have significant effects on the environment in order to determine if whether it requires Environmental Assessment.

In relation to urban planning, in Spain, in the Region of Murcia, all the urban and spatial planning, including general and development planning along with the modifications, is subject to the environmental assessment procedure as a consequence of a judgement of the Constitutional Court (TC109 / 2017).

The procedure is divided into different phases with their corresponding documents,

• Authority for adoption: body of the Public Administration that is competent to approve a plan or programme (in the case of the Region of Murcia, the urban plans are approved by the Regional Ministry in charge of the Autonomous Community

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in the case of general plans, or by the Town Councils, in other partial plans or modifications). • Environmental Authority: body of the Public Administration that carries out the evaluation and environmental technical analysis of the files and makes the environmental report (the General Directorate responsible for the environment in the case of the Autonomous Community of Murcia). • Promoter: any natural or legal person, public or private, who intends to elaborate one of those plans or programmes included in the scope of application of the Directive. That is to say, the promoter can be a municipality (public promoter), or a private developer who owns an urban or developable land. The developer proposes the urban plan, and it is the competent Administration that approves it with the corresponding Environmental Report. • Environmental study: study which identifies, describes and evaluates the possible significant effects on the environment that may arise from the implementation of the plan or programme, some reasonable alternatives, which can be technically and environmentally feasible. The objectives and the territorial scope of the plan or programme will be taken into account, as well as the contributions of the public consultations. The purpose is to prevent or minimize the adverse effects on the environment resulting from implementing the plan or programme in Annex I of the Directive. This study must include: o The contents of the plan, the current environmental situation of the affected area and how it would evolve if the plan were not implemented. o The environmental protection objectives, established at international, Community or Member State level. o "The probable significant effects on the environment, including aspects such as biodiversity, population, human health, fauna, flora, land, water, air, climatic factors, material goods, cultural heritage including the architectural and archaeological heritage, the landscape and the interrelation between these factors ". As well as the measures planned to prevent, reduce, or compensate for the negative effects. o Also, a selection of alternatives and their motivation. o And measures for its supervision.

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• Environmental Report: theEnvironmental Authority, once the environmental study (technical analysis) is completed, prepares the mandatory report with which the environmental assessment concludes. Therefore, it evaluates the integration of the environmental aspects into the plan or programme, the measures that must be incorporated and a final proposal of the plan or programme resulting from this environmental analysis. • Consultations: consultations with the administrations involved and the interested public have to be carried out. These consultations, which are made during the evaluation process, have to be analyzed and reasons have to be given for taking them into account or not. In the Region of Murcia Climate Change Service in the consultation phase prepares a full report on these impacts and measures of prevention and compensation of climate change of the plan or programme.

It's important to highlight that the documents and environmental reports should have the necessary quality and, therefore, should be carried out by people with sufficient technical qualifications. For this reason, the aforementioned studies and environmental documents must identify their author or authors indicating their degree and, where appropriate, their regulated profession. In addition, the date of conclusion and signature of the author must be recorded.

• Publication. Finally, the Resolution which adopts or approves the plan or programme must be published in the official gazette along with a reference to the electronic address through which the authority for adoption will make the full content of the plan or programme available to the public: o An extract including how environmental aspects have been integrated into the plan or programme, and the reasons for choosing the selected alternative, in relation to the alternatives considered. o The measures adopted to monitor the effects on the environment of implementing the plan or programme. o Validity of the strategic environmental statement.

-A key issue is the monitoring of compliance with environmental actions by the recipient thereof. In Spanish legislation, the authorizing body (substantive body) must ensure that the requirements in the final Environmental Report are met, but the Environmental Body is also responsible for their fulfillment, carrying out the checks it deems necessary. But

30 the question is, are such checks carried out? Do they have the necessary means to track and enforce compliance with those requirements?

EFFECTIVENESS OF THE APPLICATION OF THE SEA DIRECTIVE.

The European Commission prepared in May 2017 the second report to evaluate the experience in the application of the Directive in the period 2007-2014 (“Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament under article 12(3) of Directive 2001/42/ec on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment. Brussels, 15.5.2017 COM(2017) 234 final).

This report is very interesting because it reveals the main difficulties and gaps in the application of this Directive, some of which are highlighted below in relation to the issue at hand here:

• It is expressly mentioned that one of the difficulties is to obtain reference information related to the assessments of vulnerability to climate change. "Experience shows that the quality of reference information is better in small-scale plans and programmes because of its nature specifically linked to the location."

• Nor is it easy to know what to expect regarding the "Reasonable alternatives", since there is not a common approach to define the types and the number of alternatives that have to be assessed, which depends to a great extent on the type of plan and its geographical scope.

In any case, it is mentioned that the three most common categories of alternatives for the Member States are the following:

i. Alternatives in terms of location. ii. Qualitative and quantitative alternatives (modify the scale or size of the intervention in the environment). iii. Technical alternatives (related to the design of future projects carried out in the selected site). iv. The "zero alternative" (what happens if the plan is not carried out?) It is not always considered as an alternative.

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• This report also comments on supervision in order to compare the results of the environmental assessment with the results of the implementation of the plans and programmes, in particular the significant effects on the environment. In this regard, it is emphasized that the Directive does not establish specific forms for supervision, neither the indicators nor the frequency to carry out the corresponding controls. As we will see in the conclusions, the monitoring and supervision of compliance with environmental reports is an important problem to solve.

It is confirmed, therefore, that Member States cannot offer quality information about how they deal with supervision or its frequency. The following is more the case: "For the SEA Directive, and where applicable, Member States tend to use the environmental monitoring arrangements set up in other Directives, such as the Water Framework Directive, the Habitats Directive and the Industrial Emissions Directive”.

Therefore, that it is worrisome that no specific indications in relation to supervision have been established. You can make an excellent environmental assessment on an urban plan and consider its effects and measures to mitigate and compensate for climate change, but if there is no control and further sanction, it will be something ineffective. This is true in many cases in which certain administrations do not incorporate sufficient means of inspection, material means and human resources. This leads us to the next section of the Commission's report on the effectiveness of the Directive.

• Regarding the effectiveness of the Directive, it is found that it is not very effective in political programmes and plans. However, it is more effective in regional plans and programmes of regional or local geographic scope, such as urban plans. • It is also concluded that there is a need for guidance and training, as well as good environmental information databases.

In relation to the conclusions of this report, in addition to the detected weaknesses in the application of the environmental assessment, by extensión, the EU is aware of the need to continue working on the good compliance with European regulations, as reflected in the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION EU law: Better results

32 through better application (2017 / C 18/02): "The Commission therefore attaches high importance to ensuring the effective application of EU law.”

The lack of funding to comply with the regulations, especially at the regional level, and mainly in certain areas of the south where environmental awareness is not as strong as in other areas of the north, environmental units, in many cases, are not provided with the necessary material and human resources, resulting in ineffective enforcement of the European environmental regulations.

THE CLIMATE CHANGE INTEGRATION INTO THE SEA

After having explained the most important terms of the objectives and procedure of the SEA, this section focuses on framing climate change in the environmental assessment.

As previously mentioned, the Directive (SEA) , establishes the minimum content that the Environmental Report should have on the likely significant effects on the environment. Specifically it refers to climate change in the following way:

In ANNEX I, f) it is established:

• “ the probable significant effects on the environment, including on issues such as biodiversity, population, human health, fauna, flora, soil, water, air, climatic factors, material assets, cultural heritage including architectural and archaeological heritage, landscape and the interrelationship between the above factors”.

The Spanish Law is more specific (Law 21/2013) since, in addition to mentioning "climatic factors", it expressly mentions that the "potential environmental impacts taking into account climate change" must be considered, and that the best information and techniques available must be used. And specifically in the "Strategic Environmental Study", the following documents, among others, must be included in relation to climate change (Annex IV of the Law):

• The environmental characteristics of the areas that may be affected significantly and their evolution, taking into account the expected climate change in the limited period of application of the plan or programme • The probable significant effects on the environment, including issues such as biodiversity, population, human health, fauna, flora, land, water, air, climatic

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factors, their impact on climate change. In particular, an adequate assessment of the carbon footprint associated with the plan or programme, material goods, cultural heritage, landscape and the interrelation between these factors. These effects must include secondary, cumulative and synergistic effects, short, medium and long term effects, permanent and temporary effects, and positive and negative effects. • The measures envisaged in order to prevent, reduce and as fully as possible compensate for any significant negative effects on the environment of implementing the plan or programme, including those measures whose aim is to mitigate its impact on climate change and allow its adaptation to it .

The European Commission has been aware of the need to prepare a guidance document on climate change (and biodiversity) in the SEA procedure, (“Guidance on integrating climate change and biodiversity into strategic environmental assessment”, European Commission (2013). Some of its main conclusions are highlighted:

• It is vital to fully integrate these issues into the plans, programmes and projects implemented across the EU. • The mitigation and adaptation concerns will need to be appropriate to the level at which the PP is operating and will have an influence on/be influenced by. • For climate change, in particular, it will be important to consider early in the SEA process not just the impacts of the PP on climate and climate change, but also the impact of a changing climate on the PP and its implementation.

Examples are offered through key questions about these two questions (tables 7 and 8 of the guidance document):

• How may the climate be affected by implementing the PP in terms of GHG emissions? The following aspects are addressed: energy demand in housing and construction; GHG emissions in waste management; travel patterns and GHG emissions from transport; GHG emissions from energy production; forestry and biodiversity.

• How may the implementation of the PP be affected by climate change, including the need to adapt to a changing climate and the impact of extreme events? Questions are raised about different issues, such as: heat waves; droughts; storms and high winds

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; sea level rise, storms surge, coastal erosion, hydrological regimes and saline intrusión; landslides; cold spells; freeze-thaw damage.

On the other hand, the study "Mind the gap in SEA: An institutional perspective on why the assessment of synergies in climate change mitigation, adaptation and other policy areas are missing" (Larsen et al, 2012), also reflects the weaknesses in the integration of climate change into environmental assessment. From its conclusions stand out:

- Danish reports on the integration of climate change into environmental assessment in the SEA and the integration of climate change into environmental assessment, and the synergies between adaptation and mitigation and other policy areas are studied. The normative and cultural-cognitive elements show the need to develop methodologies and guidelines to integrate climate change into SEA in a systematic way. “SEA practice has a role to play in relation to climate change and that the integration of climate change can have positive - The focus is mostly on mitigation, while less is placed on adaptation and the assessment of synergies among climate change mitigation, adaptation and other environmental policy areas is very limited. - The lack of a systematic and integrated assessment of synergies indicates that the potential to explore and promote positive synergies while addressing climate change in SEA is great and unexploited. - Climate change, though it is perceived as interdisciplinary, is managed from specialised sub-units making cross-sectorial coordination difficult. - That climate change does not possess clear institutional characteristics as a municipal profesional area; it falls between the silos, and the potential of SEA is not fully exploited - The institutionalisation of climate change integration has begun. However, it is unknown whether the municipalities will be successful in developing the governing capacity needed.”

These interesting conclusions lead us to ask ourselves if they are equally valid for the reports in the Region of Murcia.

2.5 THE URBAN PLANNING OF THE TERRITORY IN THE REGION OF MURCIA

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• THE TERRITORIAL POLICY IN THE EU • TERRITORIAL AND URBAN PLANNING IN THE REGION OF MURCIA

THE TERRITORIAL POLICY IN THE EU

The European Union does not have direct powers over the planning of the territory. In 2011, after successive reforms, the European Territorial Strategy 2020 was approved, which has a fundamental objective of achieving territorial cohesion between regions that are very diverse in many aspects, geographical, economic and cultural (EU, 2011).

In the Point 20 of the document tackle the problem of climate change and the different degrees of vulnerability in terms of geographical differences:

"The challenges of climate change draw attention to the territorial coordination of policies, especially climate, energy, water management, agriculture, housing, tourism and transport".

The implementation of the objectives and lines of action that make up the Territorial Strategy 2020 is supported by the existence of programs specifically dedicated to this matter, as is the case of the European Program ESPON 2020 "through the production, dissemination and promotion of territorial evidence covering the entire territory of the 28 EU Member States, as well as 4 Partner States of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland "(ESPON, 2018). One of the main objectives is improved territorial observation and tools for territorial analysis.

The problem in arriving at a European soil policy is that it affects several political levels and different sectors, but as the European Environment Agency says, Europe is one of the busiest continents on the planet, for settlements and economic activities, and therefore, it is difficult to reconcile land uses and protection of the environment (2018)

TERRITORIAL AND URBAN PLANNING IN THE REGION OF MURCIA

Territorial and urban regulations quite complex. The main concepts and the functioning of the different territorial-urban plans that have to be submitted to EAE, in accordance with Spanish regulations and specifically the Land Law of the Region of Murcia, are explained below (Law 13 / 2015, of March 30, of territorial and urban planning of the Region of Murcia).

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In accordance with the current Regional Law, the competences regarding Territorial Planning, that is, referring to a broad territorial planning, correspond to the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia. Economic, social, cultural and environmental policies with regional incidence of regional interest, or sectorial scope of an activity are considered; as an example: coastal management guidelines, or guidelines for areas of industrial use.

The regional government of the Autonomous Community has the competence for its planning and approval.

On the other hand, in terms of urban planning, the territorial planning of the municipalities, the competences correspond to the town councils. This is the case where this work focuses, in the analysis of SEA cases of these urban plans that order land uses in the municipalities, and specifically, how climate change is integrated into these environmental assessments.

Municipal urban planning in the Region of Murcia

According to the Regional Law 13/2015, the municipalities hold the main competences in urban planning matters, subject to the control of legality by the regional council.

The urbanistic activity includes: the planning of the municipalities, at a general and detailed level, the management of their development, the land use and the construction.

All urban planning plans are subject to strategic environmental assessment before the environmental body of the Autonomous Community. This procedure must always be processed by the municipality as a substantive body. This has been interpreted and established in a judgment of the Spanish Constitutional Court (TC 109/2017).

Types of urban plans, according to Law 13/2015:

• The urban planning of the municipalities is established through Municipal General Plans of Ordination. They are instruments of ordination of a complete municipal term. All the town councils have to elaborate these general plans, with a general vision of all the municipal territory, the classification of the ground for the establishment of the corresponding urbanistic regime: urban, developable, non-urbanizable; the determination of the spaces and elements of special protection and the criteria and measures for the development and application of the plan.

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The General Municipal Plans of Ordination will be developed, according to the cases, by means of:

• Partial Plans: as development instruments, they have as their object the detailed planning of the developable land (for example, an area of the municipal territory).

• Special Plans: they are suitable for the implementation of special urban planning uses and actions in the different classes and categories of land, and may be aimed at the sectoral planning of a territory, the realization of specific urban actions or the establishment of certain protection measures (for example a residential and leisure urbanization).

• Detailed Studies: may be formulated when it is necessary to complete or adapt determinations established in the General Plans for the urban and developable land and in the Partial and Special Plans

Contents of the Urban Plans

For the approval of the Urban Plans the following contents must be included: the ordering of the land uses, the principles of universal accessibility, mobility, energy efficiency, guarantee of water supply, water evacuation systems, water purification, prevention of natural risks and serious accidents, prevention and protection against pollution.

The Region of Murcia is a territory with a chronic shortage of water, where the private initiative has played an important role as promoter of urban plans, which has led to speculative practices with excessive building of certain areas, especially tourism,

Therefore, although it is obvious, in relation to the guarantee of water supply, it should be noted that prior to the approval of the urban plan, it is an essential requirement that the Basin Organization (in this case the Hydrographic Confederation) del Segura in the Region of Murcia) issues a favourable report on the adequacy and availability of water resources for the uses of this planning (Spain 2001).

Other aspects that must be part of the urban planning (according to the Law of the Region of Murcia 13/2015) is citizen participation, transparency, and monitoring of urban activity. Likewise, an economic report estimating the execution of the urbanization works and for the equipment and services must be presented to justify its viability. You also need an "Economic sustainability report" that analyses that the municipality can assume the expenses of the services derived from the new urban developments.

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There is the so-called "urbanization guarantee", which consists of a deposit of 10% of the urbanization expenses. Its purpose is to ensure the complete execution of an urban action (pipelines, roads, water supply, energy supply, sanitation, lighting, etc.), as well as the penalties that may be imposed for non-compliance.

This is very important for the subject that concerns us, since, as it is exposed in section 4, -Study of cases-, the Climate Change Service of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia determines that it be included in this deposit of 10% the cost of the measures that it imposes for mitigation and adaptation to climate change of the urban plan, as part of the Environmental Assessment Report. It is the form that has been found to ensure the financing and execution of the actions.

One of the most interesting reflections to be highlighted is the lack of awareness, even today, of the importance of climate change on the part of regional public institutions. In the specific case of urban planning, it is in many cases disordered and speculative. Still more concerned is this reflection, finding ourselves in a Region very vulnerable to climate change, which will undoubtedly affect the economy of the area (where economic sectors such as agriculture and tourism have great importance), the maintenance of biodiversity, and In short, the quality of life of the inhabitants.

As an example of this, recently it has been reported in the local press (La Opinion, 2018) on the Revision and reform of the General Urban Plan of the municipality of Murcia (PGOU). In the same one it emphasizes the importance of the protection of the orchard and the increase of green zones, after a clear urban development decontrol and a deterioration of the orchard. Even now, an Environmental Surveillance Program has been prepared, which until now did not count with the General Plan. While at no time is explicitly mentioned "climate change" as coping with the reduction of emissions or adapt a city that is resilient to climate change.

2.6 STRATEGIC CLIMATIC CHANGE DOCUMENTS: IN THE INTERNATIONAL SCOPE, EU, SPAIN, REGION OF MURCIA

On the international scope

Climate change has become a matter of global concern. On an international level The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading international body for the assessment of climate change. It was established by the United Nations Environment

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Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988. The main objetive is “ to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of knowledge in climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic impacts” (IPCC, 2018)

The Paris Agreement is the first binding agreement signed in December 2015 among 195 countries. It is an Agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on Climate Change, which establishes measures for the reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions through measures aimed at mitigation and adaptation to curb the global warming (UN, 2018).

Among other provisions, it sets a long-term goal in line with the objective of maintaining the increase in global temperature well below 2 ° C above pre-industrial levels and continuing efforts to keep it at 1.5 ° C. above those levels (UN, 2018).

The Paris Agreement against climate change entails a commitment for the EU to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% in 2030 compared to 1990 (EU, 2018)-

Policies and strategic documents in the EU

The struggle against climate change is a priority for the EU. The EU is aware of the adverse consequences that the effects of climate change have and will have on the economy, society and the environment. In short, about quality of life of Europeans and the world's population.

There are many actions that the EU has undertaken in this area. The following are the policies and documents that are considered fundamental:

• Energy and Climate Change Package 2013-2020

Within the scope of the European Union (EU, 2018a), it is worth mentioning the approval in 2008 of the European Energy and Climate Change Package 2013-2020, a binding regulation that establishes concrete targets for 2020 in the field of renewable energies, energy efficiency and reduction. of greenhouse gas emissions.

The main objective is to lay the foundations to comply with the commitments on climate change and energy assumed by the European Council.

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In June 2018, a new regulatory framework was approved that includes the binding objective for the European Union of reaching 32% of renewable energy sources by 2030.

• EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change

The European Adaptation Strategy is the European framework for adaptation to climate change, and was approved by the European Commission in April 2013 (EU, 2013b)

The EU AdaptationStrategy focuses on three key objetives:

✓ The Commission encourages all Member States to adopt adaptation strategies. ✓ 'Climate-proofing' action at EU level by further promoting adaptation in key vulnerable sectors such as agriculture, fisheries and cohesion policy, ensuring that Europe's infrastructure is made more resilient, and promoting the use of insurance against natural and man-made disasters. ✓ Better informed decision-making by addressing gaps in knowledge about adaptation and further developing the European climate adaptation platform (Climate-ADAPT)

• The Effort Sharing legislation

The EU has also set a binding annual greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) targets for 2021- 2030 for sectors outside of emissions trading.

As set out in Regulation (EU) 2018/842, annual greenhouse gas emission reductions by Member States from 2021 to 2030 contributing to climate action to meet commitments under the Paris Agreement, these sectors, including transport, buildings, agriculture , the non-ETS industry and waste, account for almost 60% of the total national emissions of the EU. The Effort Sharing legislation is part of a set of policies and measures on climate change and energy, but unlike the sectors subject to emission rights trading, which are regulated at the EU level, Member States are responsible for national policies and measures to limit emissions from the sectors covered by the effort-sharing legislation

For the EU as a whole, a reduction of around 10% in total EU emissions of the sectors covered by 2020 is set, and of 30% by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.

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Each EU country has a different situation, which is why different national emission reduction targets were proposed, linked to the per capita GDP of each member State. The 2030 targets range between 0% and 40%, compared to the 2005 levels and are in line with the overall EU reduction target of 30% (EU, 2018).

The following table shows the percentage that corresponds to each country, in order from highest to lowest, from left to right (Regulation (EU) 2018/842) :

Bulgaria – 0 % Romania – 2 % Latvia – 6 % Croatia – 7 % Hungary – 7 % Poland – 7 % Lithuania – 9 % Slovakia – 12% Estonia – 13 % CzechRepublic – 14 % Slovenia – 15 % Greece – 16 % Portugal – 17 % Malta – 19 % Cyprus – 24 % Spain – 26 % Ireland – 30 % Italy – 33 % Belgium – 35 % Austria – 36 % Netherlands – 36 % France – 37 % UnitedKingdom – 37 % Germany – 38 % Denmark – 39 % Finland – 39 % Luxembourg – 40 % Sweden – 40 %

Table 1. National objectives for emission reduction 2030. (Eur-lex.europa.eu, 2018)

There are big differences. The countries that have to reduce the most are Luxembourg, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland with 40-39%, and the least Bulgaria, with 0%. Spain must reduce by 26%.

This percentage of 26% is taken into account in the reports prepared by the Climate Change Service for its integration into the Strategic Environmental Assessment procedure. The reduction of emissions is established by 26% in the execution of the urbanization works (can be seen in the Results section, 4.1.2, Table of Information and Measures).

The aim is to obey with the SEA Directive in relation to the content that the Environmental Report must comply with, in accordance with one of the points to be

42 considered "The environmental protection objectives, established at international, Community or Member State level". Annex I of the Directive, as mentioned in section

Policies and strategic documents Spain

The first thing that could be said is that climate change should also be a strategic policy and a priority of the first order given the geopolitical and climatic characteristics of its territory, over some regions of the south. However, there is no clear leadership, with the political parties in conflict and also the Ministry of Ecological Transition, on the one hand, and Energy, on the other, they continue to work on their own without arriving at updated texts agreed upon.

Two documents must be mentioned, but for which there is no adequate follow-up and they must be updated:

• In 2007, Spain approved the "Spanish Strategy for Climate Change and Clean Energy 2007-2012-2020" (Spain, 2007).

• On the other hand, "The National Plan of Adaptation to Climate Change" (PNACC). The last progress report is from 2014 (Spain, 2006).

Currently the Government of Spain, finally, is preparing a law on climate change, which will have to be debated and approved by Parliament.

This bill is a good initiative, but it is necessary political will and consensus to address such a serious issue, climate change. Binding rules with consequences in case of non- compliance are needed to achieve effective measures.

In this sense, William Nordahus, well known for his research on climate change and economics, expresses "In the casinos everything is done to have a thought in mind: «My luck is going to change». So go, and start betting, and lose, and bet more, and lose again, and never goes away. Humanity has to leave that casino "(El Mundo, 2018).

Since Nicholas Stern presented his report on the impact of climate change and global warming on the world economy, called "Stern Report," published in 2006, other organizations and reports are contributing knowledge on the economic impacts of the climate change.

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The connection of climate change and the economy is probably one of the few effective ways for society to demand that public authorities take serious and decisive action on climate change without delay. At least, currently, in Europeans countries, national banks, assume that climate change will have important consequences in the economy, and for that reason they prepare reports on its consequences with economic indicators.

The recent and important report of 2018 by the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate "Unlocking the Inclusive Growth Story of the 21st Century: Accelerating Climate Action in Urgent Times”, introduces:

“The growth story of the 21st century will unlock unprecedented opportunities and deliver a strong, sustainable, inclusive global economy. The benefits of climate action are greater than ever before, while the costs of inaction continue to mount. It is time for a decisive shift to a new climate economy.”

The Global Commission is composed of former heads of government, finance ministers and leaders in the fields of economics and finance. The New Climate Economy's work on this Report has been possible with support from, among others, the Government of Denmark, the Government of Germany, the Government of Norway, and the Government of Sweden (Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, 2018).

Political and strategic documents in the Region of Murcia

The Region of Murcia has no law, nor a strategic document approved in relation to climate change. It is again emphasized that it is a Region of high vulnerability and that climate change is already affecting the economy (great importance of the agricultural and tourism sector), in the environment (desertification) and in the quality of life of society (summers very hot and episodes of torrential rains).

A Strategic Plan to adapt to climate change in the Region of Murcia is currently being prepared by the Climate Change Service of the Region of Murcia. Although focused on adaptation, it includes mitigation in many aspects. Mitigation and adaptation are complementary solutions to reduce the risks associated with the impact of climate change (Region de Murcia, 2018b).

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It will undoubtedly be a matter of time because reality is imposed and international obligations too.

In addition, currently most of the investments in environmental matters in the Region of Murcia are co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund with a co-financing of 80% (ERDF).

We can conclude that the Government of Spain, and the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia in particular, have not yet effectively addressed a plan or law in relation to climate change in all its aspects. This is a matter of concern, considering that Spain is a country with regions that are very vulnerable to climate change, and that must comply with European and international commitments.

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METHODS

The methods used in this study are based in the content of the Reports on the effects on climate change of the urban plans will be shown in a synthetic manner, as part of the environmental assessment procedure, by the Climate Change Service of the General Directorate of the Natural Environment, of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia.

There have been access to five climate change reports that are integrated into the SEA files of the urban plans. We have analysed these reports that evaluate the effects of climate change in the different phases of the urban plan.

The realization of interviews based on the protocol as described by Nowell et al. (2017). A semi-structured interview is a “verbal interchange where one person, the interviewer, attempts to elicit information from another person by asking questions. Although the interviewer prepares a list of predetermined questions, semi-structured interviews unfold in a conversational manner offering participants the chance to explore issues they feel are important.” (Longhurst, 2003, p.103). Interviews are a useful way of assessing people’s attitudes and values, as well as experiences and opinions, which is what was required to answer the research questions in this interdisciplinary study.

All interviews were attempted to carry out in person, although giving the option of being able to answer it by email. This was the option chosen by three of the interviewees because it was difficult for them to have time for the face-to-face meeting. In two cases it was possible to conduct a face-to-face interview. The interview consists of eight common questions and two more in a specific way with the subject related to the expert. The interviews were conducted from June to October 2018.

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4. RESULTS

How climate change is integrated in the SEA reports of urban planning. Study of cases

4.1 Reports of climate change in municipal urban planning

STUDY OF REPORTS ON THE EFFECTS ON CLIMATE CHANGE OF URBAN PLANNING PROJECTS

In this section, the content of the Reports on the effects on climate change of the urban plans will be shown in a synthetic manner, as part of the environmental assessment procedure, by the Climate Change Service of the General Directorate of the Natural Environment, of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia.

There have been access to five climate change reports that are integrated into the SEA files of the urban plans. We have analysed these reports that evaluate the effects of climate change in the different phases of the urban plan.

The Environmental Body, the competent body that develops the SEA, must consult other affected administrations. For this reason, it requests a report from the Climate Change Service, as a specialized and competent unit in this matter, about the projects related to urban planning (general plans, partial plans, special plans or modifications).

Sometimes the documentation of the urban plan submitted to the Administration by the developer includes references or a report on the relationship of the plan with climate change, but in most cases, it is usually very deficient and scarce,

The reports of the Climate Change Service have a logical complexity, they can be considered good reports, but there are also possibilities of improvement in the organization and aspects contemplated in them. These reports vary in length from 5 to 27 pages,

The documents analysed correspond to the files, entitled "Report on aspects related to climate change for environmental assessment in ..." of the following urban plans:

• General Plan of Urban Planning of the municipality of

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• Modification of Special Tourism Plan "Los Collados Wiess" in the municipality of Águilas

• Modification of the Special Plan of the PERI 141 Sector in the territorial entity of El Palmar in the municipality of Murcia

• Partial Plan of Sector UZS RS.22 of the General Plan of the municipality of

• Partial Plan SG "El Merino" in the territorial entity Baños y Mendigo in the municipality of Murcia.

As stated in the introductory part of these reports, incorporating the effects of climate change on the urbanization activity is of great importance for mitigation and adaptation to its effects, and is based on the basic idea that "the compensation of a tonne of gases The greenhouse effect is a net reduction of emissions, since emissions are uniformly mixed in the atmosphere, so that reductions and / or removals in any area can cancel the emissions of another. "

The reports contemplate, from the point of view of mitigation, emissions (GHG), due to the construction of infrastructures and buildings, to transportation, the energy consumption of buildings and activities, and forced mobility. The change in land use is also considered because of its effects in destroying the ability to fix and capture carbon by soil and vegetation (sink capacity). The emissions are expressed in tonnes CO2 equivalent.

In terms of adaptation, new urban growth has to face the impacts of climate change, such as the increase in heat waves (the need for a bioclimatic architecture urbanism), the scarcity and torrentiality of rainfall (the need to recover rainwater in buildings). and greater permeability of sidewalks, parking lots and other infrastructures) or forecasting of floods.

The analysis of these reports will be structured in two parts:

1. Sections and main aspects considered in the 5 reports.

2. The table attached in annex II shows the aspects related to the emissions and the proposals for their compensation.

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1. SECTIONS AND ASPECTS CONSIDERED IN THE 5 REPORTS Main aspects on which the effects of climate change are evaluated in all phases of the urban plan execution.

A. DESCRIPTION OF THE BASIC DATA OF THE PLAN AND ANALYSIS OF THE OBLIGATIONS PROVIDED IN THE LAW

In this section the essential characteristics of the urban action are described: surface, number and type of houses, time of execution of the works, etc.

Likewise, the corresponding regulation is mentioned, Annex IV of the Spanish Law (Law 21/2013 on Environmental Evaluation) that contemplates the incorporation of climate change in the environmental assessment document. Therefore, it is an obligation by law to contemplate the effects of climate change and must be met by the developer (whether the City Council itself or a private developer).

In this Annex IV, the minimum content that the environmental study must contain is determined, and in relation to climate change it provides the following:

1. The environmental characteristics of the areas that may be significantly affected and their evolution taking into account the expected climate change during the term of the plan or program;

2. Environmental protection objectives set at international, community or national levels that are related to the plan or program and the manner in which these objectives and any environmental aspects have been taken into account during their preparation;

3. The likely significant effects on the environment, including aspects such as biodiversity, population, human health, fauna, flora, land, water, air, climatic factors, their impact on climate change, in particular, an adequate assessment of the carbon footprint associated with the plan or program, material goods, cultural heritage, landscape and the interrelation between these factors. These effects must include secondary, cumulative, synergistic, short, medium and long term, permanent and temporary, positive and negative effects;

4. The measures foreseen to prevent, reduce and, as far as possible, compensate for any significant negative effects on the environment from the application of the plan or

49 program, including those to mitigate its impact on climate change and allow its adaptation to the same.

B. THE FORESEEABLE EFFECTS

The foreseeable environmental effects are studied from the point of view of mitigation and adaptation, and if necessary, their quantification.

• MITIGATION:

As mentioned above, urban planning induces a set of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to the change in land use. It is therefore based on the consideration that implies loss of capacity for sequestration or carbon removal (although it is difficult to determine) due to the occupation of land "scarce and non-renewable resource".

It is emphasized that European documents and legislation show great concern for land occupation, especially in low density planning.

"The way to produce a city that defines urban planning will condition the emissions, which will be between 4 and 7 times higher if we move from a high density model (historical and traditional population centers) to low density models"

This is due to the fact that low-density peripheral urban spaces produce more emissions for the provision of minimum services than that produced by traditional nuclei or "compact city". In these urban spaces with low density there is an increase in the mobility required to access sanitary, educational, commercial or security services and higher costs to provide the necessary infrastructure for the operation of the urbanization.

The doctoral thesis of the Polytechnic University of on the cost increase entitled "Urban Sprawl Costs for Local Administration, The Valencian case" (Gielen, Eric Madeleine Pierre 2016), specifically the following paragraph:

"Urban dispersion represents a cost higher than 31% of municipal current expenditure in many municipalities of the coast, coinciding with the most tourist enclaves specialized in second homes"

For the calculation of CO2 emissions associated with urban planning consult a study of the Generalitat of .

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As regards the so-called diffuse sectors (building, transport, agriculture, waste management and water purification ...) reference is made to the EU Energy and Climate Package, which sets an emission reduction target of 10% by 2020 of 2005 (Decision 406/2009 / EC on the effort of Member States to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to meet the Community's greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments up to 2020).

It is affirmed that the diffuse sectors (not ETS) represent almost 60% of the total emissions, so they must focus an important part of the efforts. In this sense, the "distribution of EU efforts to reduce emissions" is taken into account (mentioned in section 3.2 of the Strategic Documents of this work).

In line with the commitments at European level to ensure that all countries participate in the EU's efforts to reduce emissions, the so-called "effort sharing" standards establish binding annual greenhouse gas emission targets for the Member States for the period 2020-2030.

The Agreement of Heads of State and Government establishes the overall goal of reduction for the whole EU of 30% (compared to 2005), corresponding to Spain a reduction of 26%. (EU, 2018b).

Therefore, these Reports assess that greenhouse gas emissions will occur due to various actions in the urbanization process: works in the construction phase, sidewalks, supply infrastructures (such as public lighting, sewerage, solid waste collection) urban), as well as buildings, forced mobility, especially if it is located in the periphery of the urban center.

It is concluded that all these emissions must be reduced in the percentage that the EU obliges Spain (26%), and if it is not possible to reduce them, compensation is mandatory.

• ADAPTATION: the concept of "climate proofing" is used to evaluate the effect of climate change on the useful life of investments in urban infrastructures during their period of operation.

In this aspect, it is considered that in the environmental evaluation, design conditions must be incorporated in the urbanization and in the building, less vulnerable to temperature increases, anomalous atmospheric episodes, water scarcity.

The forecasts of the changes in the climatic variables are based on projections of the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) based on the Fifth Report of the United Nations IPPC.

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The tendencies show elevation of the maximum and minimum temperatures, decrease of the precipitations, thus extreme phenomena.

It is contemplated (in the case of the Municipal General Plan) "the expected climate change during the term of the plan" (Point 1 of Annex IV). Future temperature scenarios and other expected climate indices for the 2040 horizon are considered. For this, the viewer of the State Meteorological Agency -Adaptecca- is used.

This application allows making predictions by territorial areas based on scenarios defined in the Fifth IPCC Report. Of the four representative lanes (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6.0 and RCP8.5), RCP6.0 is used, considering that it is more predictable considering the current data.

Likewise, the information related to flood maps is considered as a scenario. Following the principles of Directive 2007/60 on flood risk assessment and management, the State Administration has launched the National Floodplain Mapping System (SNCZI), an instrument to support the management of the river area, the risk prevention, territorial planning and administrative transparency.

-On the other hand, tools that help describe and quantify mitigation (calculation of the carbon footprint) and adaptation (future climate scenarios) are cited throughout the text of the reports.

These tools are the Annexes of the reports that quantify the change of the reserve of carbon in the soil, quantification of the carbon footprint by the construction and operation of the urbanization, as well as the trends of the climatic variables.

C. PREVENTIVE, CORRECTIVE AND COMPENSATORY MEASURES TO INCORPORATE IN THE URBAN PLANNING STANDARDS

The project of the corresponding urban plan describes what can be done in each space of the area to be urbanized: building density, green spaces, buildings for the use of the community; illustrated with plans. Finally, the plan must include some "Urban Regulations", which determine precisely the use and urban conditions of the land and buildings in its area, as well as the measures and conditions established in the environmental assessment report (where include measures for climate change).

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The reports include preventive, corrective and compensatory measures in relation to climate change due to the execution and operation of the future urbanized area.

It is important to note that the reports expressly state that the measures must be included as regulations in the corresponding urban plan.

Therefore, these measures must be part of the Urban Planning Regulations that must be approved by the Regional Government or the corresponding City Council, as the case may be, and these are mandatory.

On the other hand, the Urban Development Law of the Region of Murcia (Law 13/2015 of territorial and urban planning of the Region of Murcia), establishes that the developer must calculate the urbanization costs. In these costs, measures related to climate change must be included.

In addition, in relation to urbanization costs, the contribution of an amount in the form of a 10% guarantee or bond is required. This guarantee must be demanded by the municipality to ensure compliance with the urbanization works. Therefore, the costs of preventive, corrective and compensatory measures of climate change are also included in this guarantee.

For the assessment of the deposit, it is proposed to use the figure of € 10 t of CO2 to be compensated. These costs will be part of the urbanization costs.

It also provides that if the preventive, corrective and compensatory measures are not complied with, the inspection units of the Autonomous Community or the City Council may open a sanctioning file.

The following are the aspects on which preventive, corrective and compensation measures are established:

1. MITIGATION M1.1: TRANSFORMATION OF SOILS. Compensation of the loss of carbon stocks and the capacity of removal by transformation of soils that pass from natural terrain (bush, shrub) to roads, buildings and parking.

Losses of carbon stocks by transformation of soils are quantified taking into account the European Union Decision of June 10, 2010 (COMMISSION DECISION of 10 June 2010

53 on guidelines for the calculation of carbon stocks for the purpose of Annex V to Directive 2009/28 / EC)

The compensation will be specified through the incorporation into the urbanization project with a specific annex.

2. MITIGACIÓN M1.2: URBANIZATION WORKS. Compensation of emissions of direct responsibility of the developer in the phase of urbanization works. Opt for a project of urbanization works of reduced emissions.

It is established that the urbanization project will contain a specific annex in which the works will be specified by earth movements, materials and sustainable construction methods and low carbon.

As mentioned above with respect to the "distribution of efforts" established by the EU, it is considered coherent to incorporate in the Urban Planning Regulations the obligation to reduce or offset 26% of GHG emissions, for these urbanization works.

Specifically, it is obliged to incorporate in the Planning Regulations of the Plan the actual calculation of emissions derived from fuel consumption of vehicles and earthmoving machinery (gas oil consumption of 1.2 liters per cubic meter equivalent to 3kg of CO2).

Likewise, the carbon footprint of the executed urbanization works project must be calculated, quantifying the emissions that the urbanization works have supposed. It will also specify the savings in emissions compared to designs, materials and usual construction methods.

3. MITIGATION M1.3: PER OPERATION OF URBAN SPACE. Obligation to present a compensation project for the operation of the new urban space.

In this phase, the compensation is related to forced mobility, supply of drinking water, purification of wastewater and collection, transport of solid urban waste and consumption of electricity from the urbanization.

These emissions are estimated based on carbon footprint calculation studies of different organisms (such as the Aguas de Murcia and Hidrogea company and the Climate Change Office of Catalonia).

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It takes into account the average size of the household, the minimum water consumption per inhabitant, the generation of waste, as well as the compact or dispersed urban development model. In the latter case, it is assumed to be more inefficient and is penalized with a multiplier in the calculation of emissions.

4. MITIGATION M1.4: BUILDINGS. Application of the objective of "almost zero energy consumption of fossil origin" to buildings.

In order to achieve this objective, the use of sustainable and low carbon materials and construction methods is proposed.

It is specified in the reports that "at least 50% of the energy consumption that occurs in a building responds to its configuration".

In addition, important emissions are produced by energy consumption to provide water for new urban developments. Therefore, they impose the objective of "reducing energy consumption and the emission of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the urban water cycle".

Indirect emissions due to electricity consumption are also taken into account, which will be accounted for in electric power production plants.

According to Spanish and European regulations (Directive 2010/31 / EU) concerning the energy efficiency of buildings, it is established that:

"No later than December 31, 2020, the new buildings will be buildings with almost zero energy consumption"

Although, in these reports, it is proposed to anticipate this date and incorporate into the Urban Regulations the justification that the project has been designed so that the amount of energy required is almost nil or very low. The design, materials and construction methods must pursue this objective.

5. ADAPTATION A2.1: WATER-SEALING OF THE SOIL. Reduce the effects of sealing and use of rainwater and wastewater.

Regarding the sealing of the soil, it is based on the evidence that the urbanization causes the impermeability of the soil and, therefore, its absorption capacity, as well as an increase

55 in speed. In addition, increases in torrential rain are expected due to climate change. This will cause run-off damages in new urban developments and their surroundings.

It is stated that "Planning must pay special attention to the capacity for infiltration, recovery and use of water".

It states that "a well-structured soil with sufficient depth can store up to 300 litters of water per cubic meter in its pores, which is equivalent to 300 mm of precipitation."

It is established, therefore, that the urbanization project incorporates measures to facilitate the infiltration of the maximum amount of rainwater and its capture and use, in order to reduce the negative effects of soil sealing and in turn take advantage of this scarce resource, especially in a Region with a semi-arid climate with scarce rainfall.

Likewise, it is argued that the collection of rainwater contributes, in addition, to fulfill the objective of "reducing torrential runoff, to the extent that a part of the precipitation is collected in deposits. This technique is not new in the Mediterranean area. In traditional Arab cities all roofs discharge to their corresponding cistern. In this way the runoff is attenuated, avoiding damages in the lower areas of the urbanization ".

The mention made in this section of the work captures and uses this new water resource through the so-called "Jardines de Agua" in the city of Alicante, which has allowed, on the one hand, reducing the consumption of drinking water to certain municipal uses and, on the other, reduce the risk of flooding coinciding with episodes of heavy rains.

ADAPTATION A2.2 WATER-BUILDINGS.

As for buildings or homes, it is proposed to incorporate in the design project of buildings and homes the obligation to capture rainwater and grey water. Grey water is all domestic wastewater that is generated in the processes of a home, such as cleaning utensils, washing machine, bathroom, etc. except those that come from the toilet. These waters have a lower pollutant load than the wastewater and, for this reason, their treatment is simpler.

D. CONCLUSION OF REPORTS:

• It is concluded that the quantitative compensation measures established in respect to the tons to be compensated for the loss of carbon reserves by the transformation of the land,

56 by urbanization works and by the operation of the urbanization, may be conditioned to the submission of an alternative proposal sufficiently detailed and subject to approval, or acceptance by the developer to offset the emissions specified in this report.

• The reports propose preventive, corrective and compensatory measures that will reduce the impact of the implementation of the urban plan on climate change.

4.2 Interview with experts on environmental assesment, climate change and urban planning

Seven interviews were conducted with experts from institutions or consultants related to the subject. All of them have knowledge about environmental assessment, climate change or urban planning.

The objective was to obtain the vision of expert technicians from different areas of work:

• City Council: as an institution that implements climate change policies and that promotes, approves and executes urban plans, and apply measures to face climate change at the local level. • Hydrographic Basin Organization: that has to authorize the water disposition of the urban plans. • Private promoter-company: acting as urban developer for the construction of urbanizations. • Environmental consultant: advising companies and the administration in the environmental assessment procedure. • Legal expert in environmental issues.

The following experts belonging to the following companies or public institutions have been chosen:

PUBLIC INSTITUTION OR INTERVIEWED Type of OBSERVATIONS ENTERPRISE (Permission interview granted to mention their names) City Council of Cieza. Miguel Angel Technical Forestry Piñera. Online Engineer and Environmental Technician

57 http://www.cieza.es/portal/2017i Director of the ndex.jsp Department of Environment, Urban Quality and Health City Council of Alhama de Manuel Aguila. Biologist. Murcia Technician and expert in the http://ayuntamiento.alhamadem environment. Online urcia.es/ Sonia A. Bedetti. Head of the Department of Architect Urbanism

Basin Organization. Jaime Fraile. He is a member of the Confederación Hidrográfica del Online Climate Change Segura (CHS) Head of Observatory of the Hydrological Region of Murcia https://www.chsegura.es/chs/ind Planning Service ex.html of the CHS

Consulting firm. Ambiental S.L. Emilio Díaz de Biologist with Revenga. Face- to- knowledge in urban https://www.ambiental-sl.es/ face planning. Consulting Environmental Director with and urban experience in the planning preparation of technician environmental assessment reports.

Environment legal expert Juan Madrigal de Degree in Law Torres. Face-to-face He works in the Autonomous Expert in Community of the environmental Region of Murcia law and was General Director of the

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General Directorate of Environment Business advisor- urban Rafael López- He advises different development promoter. Torre Briones Reverte Online private companies Sol S.L. whose purpose is urbanization and construction.

Table 2. Experts interviewed on the subject.

All interviews were attempted to carry out in person, although giving the option of being able to answer it by email. This was the option chosen by three of the interviewees because it was difficult for them to have time for the face-to-face meeting. In two cases it was possible to conduct a face-to-face interview.

The interview is shown in the Annex, which has a brief introduction of the context of the work and the objective of it. The interview consists of eight common questions and two more in a specific way with the subject related to the expert. The interviews were conducted from June to October 2018.

The conclusions are synthesized as results of the interviews.

On behalf of the Director and expert of the Municipal Administration of the City council of Cieza, the following is highlighted:

• From his Department he assumes competences to promote the policies in relation to climate change in the municipality.

• The implementation of innovative policies to combat climate change is being promoted, such as the adoption of strategies, as Urban Forest (Urban Tree Plan) and a Strategic Plan for Urban Biodiversity, with a horizon of application that covers the period 2017-2032.

• Considers that incorporating climate change into the Environmental Assessment is very important, because it forces to bear in mind issues that would otherwise be overlooked because they do not imply an immediate benefit.

• From his Department are aware of the problem of water scarcity. An attractive campaign to reduce water consumption has been launched by the municipal water company. Likewise, the City Council has carried out actions for schoolchildren about the

59 importance of reusing rainwater. They also implement projects such as school gardens that include rainwater collection for irrigation.

• They also implement sustainable urban drainage systems and green infrastructures such as rainwater recovery to permeabilize the city through "rain gardens" or tree-pit systems that make the growth of the trees compatible without interfering with the infrastructures and services

• He affirms the stressful activity of the daily policy makes postponing actions that must be put in place at the moment to give results within several years, and that is especially important in this type of realities.

On behalf of the technicians and experts of the Municipal Administration of the City council of , the following is highlighted:

• The Environment area is integrated within the Department of Urbanism and Environment.

• They consider that climate scenarios forecast in southern Spain are very pessimistic and water scarcity will bring very worrying socio-economic consequences.

• There is a tendency to "look the other way" without facing the problem of climate change, both by political authorities, businessmen and by citizens.

• It is necessary to bet on sustainable sustainable cities, with a multiplicity of uses. The rehabilitation of buildings has to be prioritized. A basic misconception is that small municipalities do not generate large emissions, since in these a lot of commuting occurs.

• It is necessary to provide more personnel to the environmental departments of the administration, as well as to improve their qualification.

• Alhama City Council has been working for years to adopt the best possible measures to survive this growing water shortage situation. Thus, for example, it is improving its supply and sanitation networks so that losses and efficiency in the use of wastewater, which has increased by approaching 90%.

•They affirm that it is very important to have local regulations that encourage and even force the use of rainwater and wastewater in private buildings.

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• They are not very optimistic that the SEA will solve the major urban problems and their adaptation to climate change

• They consider fundamental environmental education and social awareness about the consequences of climate change and urgency for the application of adaptation measures.

On behalf of Head of Hydrological Planning Service, the following is highlighted:

• The CHS is the competent body in the management of water throughout the territory that covers the Segura River Basin (the entire Region of Murcia and the provinces of Albacete, Granada, Jaén, Almeria and Alicante).

• Climate change is incorporated into hydrological planning by express indication of Instruction on Hydrological Planning. This requires an estimate of the impact of the climate change on the availability of current water resources and in a future planning, depending on each hydrological plan. In the current plan, this horizon is 2033.

• The SEA is fundamental, since it allows to anticipate the potential effects of climate change, possible impacts and design errors, encouraging adaptation.

• It is not a belief, it is a reality that the climate change aggravates the shortage of water. The series of contributions in the CHS has already shown a reduction in available resources of 18% in the 2009-2015 plan, compared to the figures of the 1998. This is taken into account in the final horizon of each hydrological plan.

• He highlights the WEB page, www.nwrm.eu, as Natural Measures for Water Retention, as well as the importance of Flood Risk Management Plans.

• The recovery of rainwater is feasible, but always taking into account the quality in relation to its uses. He mentions that there were already systems in the Arab and Roman houses in ancient times.

• CHS projects stormwater collectors with separative networks and storm tanks.

On behlaf of the Legal Expert in Environment, highlight the following:

• He was General Director of Environment with competences in environmental assessment.

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• He considers that the Environmental Assessment can be very effective in determining the environmental impacts of urban planning, although it highlights the lack of incorporation of the environmental variable from the first moment of planning. It also mentions the poor cartography provided by the promoters and the lack of quality of some environmental studies.

• The Region of Murcia together with Almería are the most critical areas of Spain in relation to climate change. It is essential that mitigation and adaptation measures be adopted at all administrative levels (state, regional and local) and in all economic sectors.

• The incorporation of climate change into the Environmental Assessment of urban planning is a real necessity. Soil is the resource that is most affected, because the construction on it cancels or redefines its ecosystemic function.

• It is necessary a systemic and integral conception of the city where the adaptation measures do not limit or reduce the effort in mitigation, nor the equity in the burdens that they may imply for the citizens.

• There are not too many reference documents. The EU is promoting projects in different sectors and encouraging initiatives aimed at improving the situation. Although they do not fully take into account the differences between the north and the south, where the first effects of climate change begin to be perceived more intensely.

• It is necessary to ensure the costs of urbanization related to climate change, which should be aimed at ensuring proper operation and proper maintenance, because there are too many experiences of construction and subsequent abandonment of this type of infrastructure.

On behalf of the Expert Director of Environmental Consulting, highlight the following:

• It is necessary to have knowledge about a subject as complex as urban planning to be able to make a good environmental assessment in this field. So it considers essential a good training of professionals who are involved in the process and development of environmental impact assessments.

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• Incorporating the climate change in the Environmental Assessment is the opportunity, but not exclusively through urban planning.

• The evolution of the climate in the Region of Murcia is intensifying aridity and desertification. There is still no awareness of how the issue of sacarcity of water should be applied in urban planning and turn it into effective solutions. It is a subject that, despite the importance it has, we pay little attention to it. • He doesn’t know reference documents that can be used for the Environmental Assessment and in particular on the aspects of climate change, only procedural protocols of the Public Administration.

On behalf of private promoter, highlight the following:

• He believes that the Region of Murcia has a big problem of water scarcity and desertification next stage. • In a partial urban plan that his company promoted, rainwater collection systems were incorporated in the private recreation areas of the urbanization. In this area is where rainwater collection is feasible, and not for buildings, because it involves large deposits and investments and the use of water would only be for sanitation. • He says that urban planning from the private initiative has many taxes.

Therefore, summarizing of all the interviews, the following is highlighted: a negative view is highlighted since in the Region of Murcia there is no political will to establish measures to confront climate change. The consequences can be very serious for a Region located in southeast of Europe.

Great importance tackle climate change in a Region that can go towards a desertification scenario due to the scarcity of rain. The shortage of water will bring socio-economic consequences of great concern.

It is necessary to develop new local regulations that encourage and even force the use of rainwater and wastewater.

Likewise, the environmental departments of local and regional administrations lack the means to deal with cases and environmental problems.

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The Environmental Assessment can be very effective in determining the environmental impacts of urban planning, although the lack of incorporation of the environmental variable from the first moment of planning.

It also stands out the lack of reference documents to assess the effects of climate change on urban planning, as well as the importance of the incorporation of professionals in the subject

While, the incorporation of climate change in the Environmental Assessment is recognized as an opportunity and a necessity in urban planning.

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5. DISCUSSION

How to manage initiatives and effective actions with climate change is a challenge that society must reqbuire public authorities with regard to their competence. The fight against climate change and the attainment of a low-carbon efficient economy is a priority for the EU.

It seems that in certain areas " looking the other way" is accepted without facing decisive measures that can contribute to the mitigation and adaptation to climate change. It is a reality that on the part of some regions and countries there is not a proportionate reaction to this great challenge until the consequences are catastrophic. It is clear that climate change is an issue that concerns everyone and requires joint international action.

Not being a priority in the political agenda is one of the limitations that prevents a decisive approach to climate change in all its aspects in the Strategic Environmental Assessment (Egging M., 2013). Strategies and reports guide a way forward, but the regulations, in this case Directive 2001/42/EC (Spanish Law 21/2013) obliges the authorities to implement measures to deal with climate change, which in certain contexts is presented as the only way to act correctly.

The most severe consequences that climate change already has, and will continue to have in the future in the economy may be the starting point for certain authorities to take decisive action against climate change and opposing pressure groups, as society is going to see their living conditions and quality of life affected and so will demand changes.

The integration of the climate change report into the Environmental Assessment procedure of plans and programs is a very important planning tool to consider the effects on of climate change and the incorporation of mitigation and adaptation measures. In the case of urban planning, it is an opportunity to reduce impacts, heatwaves or incidences of torrential rains and avoid risks for the population. The Final Report in which these effects are evaluated and measures are established is a unique opportunity that is not quite worth all its effects.

The Spanish Mediterranean, where the Region of Murcia is located, is an area with a large concentration of population and activities with great impact, and climate change is a threat that will alter terrestrial and maritime life conditions.

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The Region of Murcia in the southeast of Spain is especially vulnerable to climate change, as shown by the climate data and economic characteristics that make it very dependent on climate, such as agriculture and tourism, two sectors of great relevance in to the Region.

There are forecasts of an accumulated increase in temperatures of up to 3 degrees by the middle of the 21st century (as a reference 1960-2000), a 20% increase in warm days and a decrease in precipitation of 10% (Victoria F., 2016).

In addition, the year 2017 was especially dry with an annual average of 203 mm (Bañón J.M., 2018). In the Region of Murcia, water scarcity is a highly sensitive and conflictive issue. There are different positions on how to deal with this problem, water transfers from one hydrographic basin to another, reuse or desalination. Obtaining water resources becomes increasingly important.

Water provisions in the reservoirs of the Segura Basin have been decreasing considerably in recent years, as the expert Jaime Fraile states in the interview. The Drought Plans, together with hydrological planning, aim to anticipate periods of water scarcity, which are aggravated by climate change (CHS, 2016).

Moreover, torrential rainfall episodes, especially in the Mediterranean area, are is increasing, in both the number of occurrences and duration (Olcina et al, 2018). In Spain, this phenomenon is called "the cold drop". It generally occurs at the end of summer and in autumn, combining cold air bags with masses of warm and humid air, which causes very intense rainfall in a short period of time, that the drains and sewage of urban areas cannot channel efficiently.

In the framework of urban planning, new alternatives for water collection must be adopted with sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) to avoid runoff caused by the impermeabilization of the soil, and in dry climates also to take advantage of rainwater.

The planning and implementation of these systems require the collaboration of professionals, experts and institutions (Fryd O., et al, 2010). The Best Available Technology (BAT) must be shared and used to collect this water at source that avoids the excess of pollutants that are dredged in an arid climate to use every last drop (Domenech,2016) .

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Therefore, it can be confirmed that in this context there are reasons to be concerned about the consequences of climate change as a focus of conflict and social tensions since it will affect strategic economic sectors for the Region, as well as the health and quality of life of the population.

The purpose of the SEA is to evaluate the impact on the environment of the application of plans and programs. The possible significant effects on the environment and also the impacts on climate change must be studied.

The environmental report resulting from this evaluation reflects difficulties in the integration of climate change, such as the lack of quality of the reference information or lack of specific forms of supervision (EU, 2017b).

The Guidance on integrating climate change and biodiversity into strategic environmental assessment, (EU, 2013a) offers key issues to be taken into account in integrating climate change into strategic environmental assessment, although it is a document more for orientation than instructions.

In the Region of Murcia, the Climate Change Service of the Regional Government prepares reports on climate change for its integration into the Strategic Environmental Assessment of plans and programs at the request of the Environmental Body that carries out the Evaluation Report.

In the case of urban planning, its configuration will determine that the emissions are between 4 and 7 times higher if one goes from a high density model (compact Mediterranean city) to low density dispersed urban models (Victoria, F., 2016).

Five of these reports that have been considered representative have been studied. The study of these documents has allowed to know how they are elaborated and what aspects are considered in relation to climate change, mitigation and adaptation, in urban plans that are subject to environmental assessment.

These reports take into consideration:

• In terms of mitigation, impacts due to: land transformation, urbanization works, urban space operation (mobility, electricity consumption, water treatment and waste collection, consumption of buildings).

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• In terms of adapting the impacts: sealing the soil and using rainwater.

Two arguments allow us to conclude that they are good reports that rigorously contemplate the most important aspects of the impact on climate change of actions derived from urban planning:

• According to information from the Climate Change Service itself, in inter- administrative meetings with the State Government and other Autonomous Communities (CCAA), they are recognized as good reports for the aspects and methodology used. In fact, the competent Ministry intends to offer a tool to share the Know How of these reports, as well as the experiences of other Autonomous Communities.

• On the one hand, taking into account the Guidance on integrating climate change and biodiversity into strategic environmental assessment (EU, 2013a), it can be concluded that the reports include the "main concerns" and "key questions" related to mitigation and adaptation in relation to housing construction, production and energy demand, and emissions (GEG) by waste generation and due to transportation.

On the other hand, it is also true that they can be improved, in that they could be better structured and enriched by practices of other Autonomous Regions and the incorporation of other aspects. The proposal for investments in forestry and biodiversity is lacking, as indicated in the EU Guide. Faced with an almost desert climate with very high temperatures in the summer months, and an increase in heatwaves, measures related to these investments and green infrastructures should be insisted on.

It would also be necessary to impose measures to create zones to maintain soil permeability and filtration to ensure at least similar conditions before soil sealing (Victoria F., 2016).

In relation to these reports, the initiative to include in what is referred to as "guarantee of urbanization" the cost of the measures that are imposed for mitigation and adaptation to climate change of the urban plan must be positively valued. This guarantee consists of a deposit of 10% of the urbanization expenses, to ensure the total execution of urban action

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(pipelines, roads, water supply, energy supply, sanitation, lighting, etc.), as well as penalties that may be imposed for non-compliance.

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6. CONCLUSION

- To date, the Government of the Region of Murcia has not developed an effective or decisive action plan or regulation that addresses all aspects of climate change, despite being a Region very vulnerable to climate change, and must comply with European and international commitments.

-The complexity of the Strategic Environmental Assessment procedure hinders the integration of climate change reports in the final Environmental Assessment Report. In addition, in the framework of the consultations carried out with other expert bodies, it requires good coordination and tuning to coherently integrate these reports.

- The monitoring and supervision of compliance with the conditions that compile environmental assessment reports is a serious problem which needs to be resolved

-Reference documents are missing. More precise reference documents are needed, and therefore, there is a lack of systematization.

- In many cases, environmental departments are often not provided with the necessary material and human resources, and so the application of European environmental regulations is not very effective.

+ The establishment and application of Environmental Assessment measures, including those of climate change, are mandatory by law.

+ From the Climate Change Service of the Region of Murcia, great effort is made to include in its reports the main measures of mitigation and adaptation to counteract the impacts of the urban plans. And above all, the initiative to incorporate the costs of these measures in the urbanization costs of the urban development project stands out.

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+ In Spain and in all its Autonomous Communities in Spain, all urban and territorial planning, both general and development and modifications, must undergo the environmental assessment procedure, as determined by the Constitutional Court.

• Proposal. A network of examples of good practices on how these reports should be carried out by the different countries or regions, as the case may be, according to the distribution of competence, would make it possible to improve the environmental assessment and the effective application of measures against climate change.

• Proposal. A larger initiative by the EU is necessary in order to elaborate a systematized document with instructions on aspects, measures and methodology to integrate climate change in the Environmental Assessment, as well as inspection mechanisms to ensure compliance.

• Proposal. Given the diversity of the countries of the EU, each of them should develop instructions to adapt to their idiosyncrasies the mentioned systematized reference documents, taking into account their geographical and climatic characteristics.

• Proposal. Continued promotion of networks to share better experiences in the field of urban planning, with solutions and experiences on sustainable drainage systems and green infrastructures.

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