Hydrocare Conference Athens 19 th of January workshop on “Drought and water scarcity: discussion in the frame of EU Initiatives" “Agriculture and Environment: the sustainable use of the water resources for irrigation in the integrated management of the territory: the MIPAIS project" Team Leader Consorzio di Bonifica della Sardegna Meridionale

MIPAIS PROJECT: Methodologies and tools for planning a sustainable irrigation management under drought conditions Partners Team Leader Consorzio di Bonifica della Sardegna Meridionale - Italy Regione Emilia-Romagna – Agenzia regionale prevenzione e ambiente (ARPA-ER) - Italy Agenzia per la Protezione dell’Ambiente e per i Servizi Tecnici (APAT ) - Italy Provincia di Potenza – Italy Centre National du Machinisme Agricole, du Génie Rural, des Eaux et des Forêts - France Instituto Superior de Agronomia – Universidade Técnica de Lisboa - Portugal Observer Agro-hydrology Research and Training Institute Turkey Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Alameda del Obispo (IAS-CSIC) - Spain

A recent E.U. study on climate change underlines that in the last fifty years: rainfall decreased temperature increased 10% of the Mediterranean area have desertification problems This trend related to the excessive water demand, the use of no eco-sustainable agronomic techniques and the increase of fire frequency, will cause, in the next fifty years, a strong reduction of cultivated areas and the change of typical Mediterranean crops. Framework of the project 1

Framework of the project 2 The severe drought events that have occurred world-wide during the past decades have increased awareness to the seriousness of the impact of this events on economic interests, social well being and human communities. The necessity of an urgent response to drought problems is strongly recognised in arid and semi arid regions, where the risk of severe water shortages is growing, due to the pressure of increasing demands on scarce water resources presenting a high natural variability.

A simplified sketch of complex process, streaming from meteorological drought event to its economic and intangible impacts through the filtering of the water bodies, the water supply system and the socio-economic structure. Framework of the project 3 Prof. G. Rossi 2000

Framework of the project 4 In this context it is very important to draw on news methodologies to reduce water consumption shared by the stakeholders a national and international level. Best results can be reached by applying this methodologies in the more hydro exigent sectors and our project focus its attention on the AGRICULTURAL sector

Potable = 27.3% Agriculture = 62.3% Industrial = 14.2% Total = 48.8% Water Deficit

The aim of the project To reduce the impact of irrigation on water demand; To coordinate quality and quantity of water, applied for irrigation, with the exigencies of a eco-sustainable exploitation of natural resources; To support the consolidation of the agricultural sector. The crisis of this sector is one of the causes of the gradual impoverishment of rural population and of the consequently depopulation of rural areas. The effort is to identify instruments that contrast that trend.

The results of the project to apply new methodologies based on water balance and on irrigation scheduling services to reduce irrigation water demand, without any impact on crop; to create an international network to promote best practices on irrigation and water management; These results applied in the framework of an international cooperation context and according to common policy of sustainable development, could have a considerable effect in the identification of new strategies against desertification.

Project activities Studies on water balance models, data acquisition on application of regulated deficit irrigation, water needs and water management in drought conditions; the application on 6 pilot area of new methodologies to reduce water demand. At the moment more than farmers are involved; the organisation at local level of an intensive activity of information and training of farmers and their organisation in order to facilitate the transfer of results and their use; the creation of an international network of contacts for the diffusion of best practices in irrigation.

Conclusions 1 The importance of the project doesn’t depend on the relevance of the scientific results, but on their diffusion among the stakeholder and the use of tools and methodologies. Farmers and their organisation appreciate this kind of activities and they participate with enthusiasm. They consider this type of activity like a valorisation of their job and of their social role in the environment protection and in the management of water resources.

The Main Characters: the Web site…

the Environment …

and ….. the Farmers