How the Mar Menor recovery money is being spent: Less than a fifth used so far

Some key projects have begun across the Region of Murcia, like dune restoration and flood prevention

The Ministry for Ecological Transition has given an update on just how much they have spent so far of the €675 million allocated to restoring the Mar Menor. According to the latest official progress report, they have spent just over €110 million of the allocated funds.

The figures come from the fourth-quarter 2025 update of the Priority Action Framework for the Recovery of the Mar Menor (MAPMM). While €226.6 million has now been committed on paper, actual spending still stands at only 16.3% of the total budget, meaning much of the funding has yet to be translated into work on the ground.

Some progress was made on one of the most visible projects, as they started the first phase of dune restoration in La Manga, covering six areas along the strip. With a budget of €210,000, the work will protect the natural coastal areas that are under constant pressure from development and heavy seasonal use.

Further inland, €11.5 million has been set aside for livestock farms in the Campo de Cartagena. The money will help intensive farms keep things cleaner, with better manure storage and measures to stop runoff reaching the Mar Menor. This builds on earlier support for agriculture, which is already easing some of the pressure on the lagoon.

 Plans for several flood prevention projects are moving forward. Work on restoring the La Pescadería watercourse and creating a floodable park in Los Alcázares, with a budget of €35.8 million, has been approved and should go out to tender soon. Separate flood protection in the Cobatillas watercourse, worth €15.9 million, has already been put out to tender. These projects hope to reduce the risk of flooding during heavy rain, which is a real concern in the low-lying towns and farmland around the Mar Menor.

Work to control illegal irrigation and pollution is continuing across the area around the Mar Menor. So far, 9,179 hectares of unauthorised irrigation have been disconnected, most of them voluntarily. Authorities have also dealt with 173 cases of pollution, including discharges from farms and wastewater systems, making sure waste is stored safely so it doesn’t pollute the lagoon.

Further inland, work is also moving forward in the Sierra Minera. Around €8 million is being spent cleaning up old mining sites in Cartagena and La Unión, while extra funding is going into stabilising and protecting historic mining buildings.

Even with this progress, most of the money set aside to help with the recovery of the Mar Menor has yet to be spent. And people are starting to wonder when they will actually see the impact of these funds.

Images: MITECO