Technological developments for water resource efficiency

Transcription

1 Technological developments for water resource efficiency Tim Hess & Jerry Knox 13 June 2017, Brussels, Belgium 1

2 Water for irrigation in the EU 24% of total water abstraction in Europe is used for agriculture (but ranges from 0 80%) Over-abstraction affects 10% of surface and 20% of groundwater bodies The most vulnerable areas are in the Mediterranean region Around 20 river basin districts face water stress during the summer especially IT, ES, CY, MT but also DE, UK, BE, PT, BG Climate change will increase irrigation needs and reduce water availability 2

3 Where does the water go? Productive Plant transpiration Water supplied Storage (evaporation) Spray evaporation & wind drift Unproductive Evaporation from soil & weeds Conveyance (leakage) 5% - 50% Losses Runoff Drainage Hess & Knox (2013) 3

4 Scope for water savings System Improvement of irrigation systems Decreasing soil evaporation Reducing runoff Reduction of evaporation during storage Management Irrigation scheduling Deficit irrigation strategies Water table management Cropping Changing planting date Crop selection Reducing nonproductive losses Reducing productive water use Hess & Knox (2013) 4

5 Switching irrigation technology Surface irrigation (often inefficient) dominates in places like Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Portugal and is important in Greece and Spain Sprinkler or localised has the potential to be more efficient 5

6 Precision irrigation Water demand 6

7 Real-time soil moisture monitoring using a wireless sensor network 7

8 Real-time precision irrigation GPS Irrigation Controller Crop monitoring Weather station Wireless solenoid controller Data hub Wireless soil water sensors Farm Office Wireless soil water sensors 8

9 Warning #1: Water / energy trade-offs 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 Water use and GHG emissions in the Mediterranean region Current: 60% Surface 26% Sprinkler 14% Drip 20,000 10,000 0 Daccache et al. (2014) Water, Mm3 Current Modernised GHGE, 100t CO2e 9

10 Warning #1: Water / energy trade-offs 70,000 60,000 Water use and GHG emissions in the Mediterranean region 13% reduction in water demand 50,000 40,000 30,000 20, % increase in GHG emissions 10,000 0 Daccache et al. (2014) Water, Mm3 Current 10 Modernised GHGE, 100t CO2e

11 Irrigation modernisation in Spain In 2002, the Spanish government implemented a national plan to modernize irrigation infrastructure Allocated gravity distribution on-demand pressurised systems 2 mil ha 7,400 mil Effects Energy demand / ha has increased +657% Energy costs (per kwh) have also increased Increased cost of watering drives a move to more water intensive crops (higher per m 3 ) and greater evapotranspiration Rodríguez-Díaz (2012) 11

12 Warning #2: Real water losses Productive Plant transpiration Water supplied Storage (evaporation) Spray evaporation & wind drift Losses Unproductive Evaporation from soil & weeds Conveyance (leakage) Runoff Return Flows Drainage Hess & Knox (2013) 12

13 Water efficiency and water saving Most losses are returned to the environment and therefore available for other uses Water productivity (kg/m 3 ) at the farm level increases Encourages expansion of irrigation area to use available water Does not reduce water use Few document studies of irrigation modernisation, but most showed no water savings Water use reduction requires good governance and water stewardship Perry & Steduto (2017) 13

14 Multi-level working Example: Berry production in Huelva, Spain Farm level 1. Scheduling tool 2. Grower workshops 3. Publications 4. Social media Basin level 1. Working with local government to manage water allocations Estimated water saving = 2,300 Ml/year 14