1. Alicante is situated in the Valencian community in a coastal area of large population and a large water deficit to fulfil the water demands of agriculture, industry, tourism and population. THE MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN ALICANTE

2. MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE: SUN AND BEACHDESERTIZATION

3. THE INADEQUATE URBAN PLANNING ON THE COAST

4. Benidorm 1950 Benidorm 2009 URBAN PRESSURE ON THE COAST

5. POURING UNTREATED SEWAGE INTO THE SEA POURING UNTREATED SEWAGE INTO THE SEA It represents a great risk and has an effect of pollution of the environment around us so the proper cleaning of waste-water plays an important role in preserving a sustainable environment Oceanic Posidonia PRAIRIE DESTRUCTION

6. MANY MARINAS ARE BUILT IN THE TOURIST AREAS AND IT CAUSES CHANGES IN THE OCEAN CURRENTS AND DESTRUCTION OF THE BEACHES

7. SOME MARINE SPECIES ARE ENDANGERED DUE TO THE OVEREXPLOITATION AND SEA POLLUTION SOME MARINE SPECIES ARE ENDANGERED DUE TO THE OVEREXPLOITATION AND SEA POLLUTION Mediterranean red coral Red tuna Mediterranean turtle

8. THE DEMANDS OF WATER ARE SUPPLIED BY THE DEMANDS OF WATER ARE SUPPLIED BY AQUIFERS WATER TRANSFERS FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES SEA WATER DESALATION (70% OF THE COAST POPULATION DRINK DESALINATED WATER) REUSE OF TREATED WASTEWATER

9. ALICANTE IS AN AGRICULTURE AREA AND IT ORIGINATES OVEREXPLOITATION AND SALINIZATION OF AQUIFERS DUE TO MARINE INTRUSION SOIL AND AQUIFERS CONTAMINATION

10. ALICANTE HAS A LOT OF WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS WITH A GREAT VALUE AND FRAGIL STABILITY ALICANTE HAS A LOT OF WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS WITH A GREAT VALUE AND FRAGIL STABILITY The Natural Park of the Hondo de Elche, Santa Pola's saltworks, Torrevieja's lagoon, and Pego-Oliva marshland, are declared as a ZEPAS (Protected special zones for the birds) because of the great variety of birds who live permanently here, and also because of migratory birds.

11. The Pego-Oliva marshland, which was included in the Ramsar Convention (1971) as one wetland of international interest, constitutes a typical coastal aquatic ecosystem of the Western Mediterranean Sea. Currently, it is a Nature Reserve which coexists with traditional agricultural practises, like rice crop. HIGH BIODIVERSITY ECOSYSTEMS

12. THE “COLD FRONT” IS A COMMON WEATHER PHENOMENON IN ALICANTE´S CLIMATE Autumn is the season when there is a high probability of the “cold front”:it is a weather phenomenon that can cause heavy rain and thus there is a high probability of floods, human and material losses. We are not yet well protected to fight its effects.