TY - JOUR
T1 - The Cultural Ecohydrogeology of Mediterranean-Climate Springs
T2 - A Global Review with Case Studies
AU - Pascual, Roger
AU - Piana, Lucia
AU - Bhat, Sami Ullah
AU - Castro, Pedro Fidel
AU - Corbera, Jordi
AU - Cummings, Dion
AU - Delgado, Cristina
AU - Eades, Eugene
AU - Fensham, Roderick J.
AU - Fernández-Martínez, Marcos
AU - Ferreira, Verónica
AU - Filippini, Maria
AU - García, Guillermo
AU - Gargini, Alessandro
AU - Hopper, Stephen D.
AU - Knapp, Lynette
AU - Lewis, Ian D.
AU - Peñuelas, Josep
AU - Preece, Catherine
AU - Resh, Vincent H.
AU - Romero, Estela
AU - Samraoui, Boudjéma
AU - Samraoui, Farrah
AU - Segadelli, Stefano
AU - Skoulikidis, Nikolaos Th
AU - Solak, Cüneyt N.
AU - Solé, Jaume
AU - Villholth, Karen G.
AU - Wani, Huma Khurshid
AU - Cantonati, Marco
AU - Stevens, Lawrence E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 by the authors.
PY - 2024/5/27
Y1 - 2024/5/27
N2 - Cultures in Mediterranean climate zones (MCZs) around the world have long been reliant on groundwater and springs as freshwater sources. While their ecology and cultural sustainability are recognized as critically important, inter-relationships between springs and culture in MCZs have received less attention. Here we augmented a global literature review with case studies in MCZ cultural landscapes to examine the diversity and intensity of cultural and socio-economic relationships on spring ecohydrogeology. MCZs are often oriented on western and southern coasts in tectonically active landscapes which control aquifer structure, the prevalence of westerly winds, and aridity, and generally expose associated habitats and cultures to harsh afternoon sunlight. Cultural appreciation and appropriation of springs ranges widely, from their use as subsistence water supplies to their roles in profound traditions such as Greco-Roman nymphalea as well as Asian and Abrahamic spiritual cleansing and baptism. The abandonment of traditional ways of life, such as rural livestock production, for urban ones has shifted impacts on aquifers from local to regional groundwater exploitation. The commoditization of water resources for regional agricultural, industrial (e.g., mining, water bottling, geothermal resorts), and urban uses is placing ever-increasing unsustainable demands on aquifers and spring ecosystems. When the regional economic value of springs approaches or exceeds local cultural values, these irreplaceable aquatic ecosystems are often degraded, over-looked, and lost. Sustainable stewardship of springs and the aquifers that support them is a poorly recognized but central conservation challenge for modern Mediterranean societies as they face impending impacts of global climate change. Solutions to this crisis require education, societal dialogue, and improved policy and implementation.
AB - Cultures in Mediterranean climate zones (MCZs) around the world have long been reliant on groundwater and springs as freshwater sources. While their ecology and cultural sustainability are recognized as critically important, inter-relationships between springs and culture in MCZs have received less attention. Here we augmented a global literature review with case studies in MCZ cultural landscapes to examine the diversity and intensity of cultural and socio-economic relationships on spring ecohydrogeology. MCZs are often oriented on western and southern coasts in tectonically active landscapes which control aquifer structure, the prevalence of westerly winds, and aridity, and generally expose associated habitats and cultures to harsh afternoon sunlight. Cultural appreciation and appropriation of springs ranges widely, from their use as subsistence water supplies to their roles in profound traditions such as Greco-Roman nymphalea as well as Asian and Abrahamic spiritual cleansing and baptism. The abandonment of traditional ways of life, such as rural livestock production, for urban ones has shifted impacts on aquifers from local to regional groundwater exploitation. The commoditization of water resources for regional agricultural, industrial (e.g., mining, water bottling, geothermal resorts), and urban uses is placing ever-increasing unsustainable demands on aquifers and spring ecosystems. When the regional economic value of springs approaches or exceeds local cultural values, these irreplaceable aquatic ecosystems are often degraded, over-looked, and lost. Sustainable stewardship of springs and the aquifers that support them is a poorly recognized but central conservation challenge for modern Mediterranean societies as they face impending impacts of global climate change. Solutions to this crisis require education, societal dialogue, and improved policy and implementation.
KW - cultural anthropology
KW - ecology
KW - global review
KW - history
KW - hydrogeology
KW - socio-economics
KW - springs
KW - water resources
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85197193634&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/environments11060110
DO - 10.3390/environments11060110
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85197193634
SN - 2076-3298
VL - 11
JO - Environments - MDPI
JF - Environments - MDPI
IS - 6
M1 - 110
ER -