Region of Murcia
Murcia shows intensive Mediterranean agriculture: Europe's greenhouse fruit supplier facing water scarcity as Tagus-Segura transfer becomes politically contested.
The Region of Murcia exemplifies Mediterranean agricultural intensification: intensive greenhouse production, irrigation-dependent horticulture, and fruit exports that make Spain Europe's garden. The Mar Menor lagoon, Mediterranean beaches, and cheap housing attract retirees and tourism. Yet water scarcity constrains future growth—the Tagus-Segura water transfer remains politically contentious as upstream regions demand their own water.
Manufacturing focuses on food processing linked to agricultural production, while Cartagena's industrial port handles bulk exports. GDP growth typically matches or slightly exceeds the national average, driven by agricultural exports and construction serving the residential tourism market. However, climate change projections suggest increasing water stress that could undermine the irrigation-dependent agricultural model.
The economy demonstrates intensive resource use approaching environmental limits. Intensive agriculture depletes aquifers; the Mar Menor has suffered ecological collapse from agricultural runoff; construction consumes coastal land. Murcia's growth model assumes continued water availability and environmental capacity that current trends question. The region shows Mediterranean development dynamics at their extreme: high productivity through intensive resource extraction, vulnerable to climate and environmental constraints that coastal regions across southern Europe will increasingly face.