Can dry rivers provide a good quality of life? Integrating beneficial and detrimental nature’s contributions to people over time

Although dry rivers only flow after heavy rainfall, recent studies have evidenced that they provide benefits to people. However, part of society undervalues these benefits, raising the question of whether they contribute to a good quality of life (GQL). We hypothesised that the benefits of dry rivers contribute to GQL of local communities as long as these benefits are not altered by human disturbance. Local communities closely associated with three dry rivers in Murcia (Spain) were interviewed. The relationships between benefits and GQL, and between detriments and GQL were described. Different benefits and detriments have different impacts on GQL dimensions. Social perceptions of the contribution of benefits and detriments to GQL vary between communities and individuals, and change over time. This implies the development of social studies to ensure inclusive management. Incorporating detriment co-production into research can raise people’s awareness of the role that human activities play in maintaining GQL.