Use of Non Conventional Water Resources In Irrigated Agriculture

1
Use of Non Conventional Water ResourcesIn
Irrigated Agriculture

• Fathy El-Gamal
• National Water Research Center ,Cairo
• Egypt

2
Introduction

• Limited and fixed water resources
• Increasing demand
• ( 35 times over the past 3 centuries)
• Agriculture sector consumes 80 with eff. About
  50
• The present over-use and degradation of water
  resources and growing competition of non
  agricultural water users are the main cause in
  using non-conventional water as an additional
  water source.

3
Introduction

• Globally, there are around 43 countries, mostly
  from arid and semi arid regions, are using saline
  water for irrigation.
• The southern Mediterranean countries are
  practicing saline water in irrigation purely by
  necessity rather than by choice

4
Available practices in Med. Countries

• Egypt
• Available Ag. Drainage water is about 14 billions
  m3
• Reuse of Ag. Drainage water is about 5.3 billion
  m3 with salinity about 1.9 ds/m
• There is a potential to use another 4 billion m3
• The present amount of waste water from major
  cities and urban areas is about 5 billion m3 /
  year

5
Morocco
The potential of waste water in Morocco
6
Algeria

• The drainage water is an important source for the
  irrigation of palm trees due to its presence in
  relatively high quantities exceeding 3 millions
  m3/ year.

7
Tunisia

• 237 million m3 of waste water discharged
  annually, 123 million m3 are treated in 52
  treatment plants.
• Within the next ten years, this amount is
  expected to increase by 50.

8
Greece

• Treated waste water used in irrigation is about
  3.2 of the total use of fresh water.
• This percentage will be substantially increased
  as the number of municipal waste treatment plants
  increase.

9
Cyprus

• The municipal treated effluent is considered as
  integrated part of the water resources.
• 6 of the cultivated land could be irrigated with
  municipal treated effluent.

10
Jordan

• The amount of waste water reused in agriculture
  in the Jordan valley increased from 20 million m3
  in 1990 to 42 million m3 in 2002.
• within the next twenty years, the proportion of
  non- conventional water will be more than 30 of
  the total available water resources.

11
Syria

• Wastewater amount is about 1.2 billion m3/year
• drainage water is about 1.536 billion m3/year
• About 29.2 of wastewater is treated
• 34.6 is used without treatment
• 36.2 is lost by discharge to water bodies and
  valleys.

12
Lebanon

• A master plan for secondary waste water treatment
  is already elaborated for all Lebanon
• The possible collected waste water for treatment,
  in 2020 is about 250 millions m3.

13
Turkey

• The estimated waste water, urban and industrial
  in 2001, is about 6.7 billions m3.

14
GAPS

• Further research is needed to cover the
  following areas
• Defined policy and strategy on the use of non
  conventional water in irrigation.
• Integrated management of water of different
  qualities at farm level, irrigation system and
  drainage basins
• Developing and use of mathematical models to
  relate crop yield to irrigation management under
  saline conditions

15
GAPS

• Activating the role of policies and institutions
  in creating demand for technology
• Conducting a comprehensive and coordinated
  research on potentials and hazards of the use of
  non conventional water for irrigation

16
GAPS

• Establishing working relationship on national,
  regional and international institutions dealing
  with the reuse of non conventional water
• Providing facilities for research workers and
  improving the Institutional Capacity Building
• Incorporation of environmental, Institutional,
  political and social and economic concerns.

17
IDENTIFIED PRIORITIES

• A. Planning
• Strengthen the participation of the
  beneficiaries.
• Monitoring the quality of non conventional water
  and reinforce existing
• Regulation.
• B. Economic Aspects
• Establish cost-benefit analysis.
• Insure that reuse policy is profitable to the
  farmers.
• C. Organizational Aspects
• Encourage cooperation between different
  institutions.
• Establish services contacts between the
  manufacturing institution and
• local expertise institution.
• D. Regulation Aspects
• Establish norms and standards for the reuse of
  non conventional water
• Limit the parameters to be monitored.

18
IDENTIFIED PRIORITIES

• E. Technical and agronomical Aspects
• Encourage the drip irrigation system.
• Optimize the recycling of the nutrient elements
  included in the water.
• Develop a strategy for the storage of wastewater.
• F. Sanitary Aspects
• Develop analytical methods for monitoring
  persistent contaminants.
• Improve research techniques for parasites and
  virus.
• Develop a methodology and monitoring evaluation
  system of the impact
• of the reuse on the soil, crops and ground water.
• G. Awareness arising
• Establish awareness and education programs for
  farmers, engineers and
• technicians.
• Develop handouts on different aspects of the
  reuse of non conventional
• Water.

19
Recommendation

• The continued increase of domestic and irrigation
  water demand can only be met through an
  integrated water management scheme that includes
  the use of all sources of water including
  non-conventional waters.
• Non conventional water such as (brackish water,
  treated waste water, drainage water, shallow
  ground water and saline water) is a potential
  source in several countries and there is a wide
  experience in the Mediterranean region for using
  it in irrigation as fresh water saving practices.
• The complex interaction of water, soil, plant,
  and climate condition, in relation to water
  quality should be considered when using non
  conventional water in irrigation.
• Water management strategies should establish when
  using non conventional water to minimize the
  negative impact on environment and soil
  productivities. The management strategy should
  include efficient use of water (not excessive),
  sustainable and save use of water, suitable
  irrigation system and suitable crop (salt
  tolerant level matches the salinity level).
  Efficient water use would minimize drainage
  volume and rising water tables which is an
  environmental problem
• Monitoring and evaluation programme should be
  carried out for water quantities and qualities,
  as well as soils salinity.

20
Recommendation

• Socio- economic, institutional, political,
  ecological, health and environmental aspects are
  to be taken into consideration by decision-
  makers when considering using non conventional
  water resources for irrigation.
• Cost recovery is an essential requisite to ensure
  the economic sustainability of the use of
  non-conventional resource.
• Supporting scientific and research centres and
  institutions for conducting integrated and
  applied water research and studies since these
  centres and institutions are an integral part of
  the institutional structures responsible for
  water resource development and utilization
• Encouraging the establishment of networks between
  scientific and research centres on using non
  conventional water.
• Farmers participation in the planning and
  management is a key for the safe use of non
  conventional water in irrigation. Involvement of
  the farmers in the exercise will close the
  knowledge gap between farmers and researchers.
• Further research is needed on integrated water,
  crop and land resources management to safely and
  sustainable use of non conventional water. Use of
  mathematical Models should be encouraged to
  predict long term salinity impact on soil, plants
  and the environment.

21
Thanks