ARTICLES

Floods in Spain: the catastrophic effects and the role of water law in prevention and mitigation
SANTIAGO M. ÁLVAREZ CARREÑO   
Catedrático de Derecho Administrativo, University of Murcia, Spain

In October 2024 the Valencian region of Spain suffered catastrophic flooding, with immense human, environmental and economic consequences. This article highlights the inadequacy of legal instruments for the mitigation and prevention of flood risks and argues that water governance must respond more quickly to fluctuations in water dynamic and changes in precipitation patterns.  Institutions  must  find  new  ways  of  building  socioecological resilience and generate adaptive capacity in response to continuous changes at river-basin level, and there is an urgent need  to  enhance  warning  systems,  emergency  protocols  and decision-making processes to safeguard the population and avoid fatalities.

Harnessing the law-science nexus to achieve water sustainability in the Anthropocene
DR GABRIEL LÓPEZ PORRAS  
Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, México
PROFESSOR BAHMAN ROSTAMI-TABAR
Cardiff Business School, University of Cardiff

The research presented in this article investigates how the lawscience nexus (bridging scientific knowledge and legal frameworks) can be operationalised to improve water governance in the Anthropocene. Previous studies have primarily focused on the law-science interface at the international level, but there is limited research on how to implement it in domestic legislation, particularly in Mexico. The article aims to fill this gap by identifying  specific  legal  reforms  needed  to  incorporate  scientific insights and diverse knowledge systems, including Indigenous and practical knowledge, into Mexico's water laws. The analysis highlights the need for reforms in critical legal provisions, such as water rights, restricted-access areas, and water availability assessments. It also proposes enabling a restructured Water Advisory Council to function as an independent scientific body, providing continuous policy updates based on real-time data and adaptive management  strategies.  These  findings  underscore  the  importance of integrating the law-science nexus into Mexico's water governance, offering a more flexible and resilient legal framework to navigate the challenges posed by the Anthropocene and ensure sustainable water management.

CASE COMMENTARIES

Cunliffe in-depth: what the Cunliffe Report means and what comes next
STEVE GUMMER and ALLAN OWEN  
Sharpe Pritchard LLP, London

The Independent Water Commission’s final report, chaired by Sir Jon Cunliffe, which was published in July 2025, sets out the most ambitious overhaul of the UK water sector since privatisation, outlining  a  total  reset  across  regulation,  company  ownership, system  planning,  environmental  obligations  and  investment frameworks. This Comment flags up some of the key proposals and looks ahead to what comes next. 

The competition water sewage cases: lessons learned post Manchester Ship Canal No 2
OLIVER HOLLAND and ROSIO CAFARELLI 
Leigh Day, London

In March 2025 the Competition Appeal Tribunal declined to make a Collective Proceedings Order in an opt-out class action on behalf of customers against six sewerage companies, which, it was alleged, were abusing their dominant position by misleading the water regulator about their environmental performance in respect of the number of untreated sewage discharges, and thus charging householders more than they should have done. The CAT suggested that had the proposed class action been pleaded as an unfair pricing claim the outcome may have been different. Their judgment confirms that claims in nuisance continue to be consistent with the Supreme Court position as laid out in Manchester Ship Canal No 2.

Coastal erosion in North Norfolk
DAVID POCKLINGTON 
Centre for Law & Religion, Cardiff Law School

The Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme (CTAP) is part of the UK Government’s National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England. This Comment outlines one of the CTAP projects which is working with communities in north Norfolk where the coast cannot be defended from coastal erosion.

STRATEGIC ISSUES –SCOTLAND

PROFESSOR SARAH HENDRY 
Dundee Law School & the UNESCO Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science,
University of Dundee