REPORT ON THE MAJOR PROBLEMS OF CARTAGENA

Introduction The aim of this report is to give a general overview of the mayor problems which affect the city of Cartagena.
Focusing on:
1. Ecological problems
2. Social exclusion

Major information sources:

- Economic and social studies undertaken in January of 2006 by the Institute for Research in Social Sciences of Murcia.
- An interview with PILAR BARREIRO ÁLVAREZ, the mayor of Cartagena, about the state of the city, made on 12 January
2006 published in the newspaper La Verdad.
- National Institute for Ecological Sustainability’s report (Cartagena 2005)

Environmental problems
· Air quality is being monitored from different locations into the town centre and some suburbs for concentrations of fine
particulates (referred to as PM10), such as airborne particles of dust, dirt, soot and smoke. In 2005, the PM10 level at which
health risks are known to occur (25µg/m3) was exceeded on more than 18 days, or 1% of the time, in 2 of the 10
monitored points. · The water quality tests made by the hydrological sampling stations denote that although potable, it does
not reach enough level of depuration as to catalogue it as healthy drinking water for day to day use.

· Green places, parks and garden areas are not in enough proportion to the city size. Social problems The main social
problems in Cartagena are related to immigration and poverty. · The immigration has had a significant increase in the past
few years.

· Poverty is present in the streets. Homeless people, people begging for money, people searching in the rubbish bin.
Recommendations All these problems must be treated individually by the local administration.

o Immigrants are a group vulnerable to social exclusion and that must be taken into account and some special actions have
to be carried out to promote integration of the immigrant population and growing diversity in the territory of Cartagena. o
An environmental plan must be designed.