Gala | 100 años de Confederaciones Hidrográficas

To mark the centenary of the creation of the river basin authorities, a commemorative gala will be held at the Royal Collections Gallery in Madrid. The event will be presided over by His Majesty the King and will include remarks by the Vice President and Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen. On March 5, 1926, two royal decrees led to the creation of the River Basin Authorities and the establishment of the first one in the Ebro River Basin. This marked the beginning of a new model of water management based on the natural unity of the river basin and the participation of users in decision-making. With the creation of the Ebro River Basin Authority, Spain became the first country in the world to organize water management with an approach that has subsequently been adopted by numerous countries and which today constitutes one of the basic principles of European water policy. Over the past one hundred years, river basin authorities have carried out hydrological planning, management, and protection of water resources, adapting flexibly to the demands and complexities of each era and establishing themselves as key elements for economic development, ecosystem protection, and the well-being of society. Currently, the nine river basin authorities that manage the country's inter-regional basins are autonomous bodies attached to the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge through the Directorate General for Water. They continue to perform the functions that justified their creation, but now also incorporate a forward-looking vision that integrates current challenges related to new water demands and the risks associated with climate change, droughts, and floods.