Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
networks, water management schemes…) of the irrigation areas. The analysis showed
that several of their technical characteristics constrain the irrigated agriculture in a lot of
these areas. One important characteristic can explain various problems of the Spanish
irrigation systems: one third of the Spanish irrigated area is more than a century old.
A result is, for example, the fact that one third of the irrigation area in Spain 4 gets its
water via channels which waste water through leakage (700 000 ha are irrigated using
ditches; and where concrete channels are used, 400 000 ha are irrigated with these in bad
conditions). 420 000 ha extract water from aquifers that are over-exploited or are in
danger of saltwater intrusion.
Sixty per cent of irrigated areas are irrigated by flooding, but more than a third of
irrigation lands do not have their water supplies ensured 5 . Farmers work in shifts in nearly
50% of the irrigated land, and Spanish irrigation efficiency is 60%.
The total area affected by one or more of these problems is assessed at 2 269 781 ha.
So, this represents 65% of the irrigated land in Spain. This huge dimension of the
problem means that it cannot be resolved in one step. The Spanish programme of
improvement and modernisation of the traditional irrigation system hopes to remedy
problems in half of that area by 2008. This means that 1 134 891 ha of Spanish irrigation
area should be improved or upgraded by this date.
Objectives and actions
To improve the general situation of Spanish irrigation it is necessary to design actions
aimed at resolving problems in two main areas: firstly, to save water by reducing leaks
and secondly, to increase efficiency rates all along the waterways (conveyance, irrigation
network, application system on farms). These water savings lead to ensuring water
availability and competitive irrigation agriculture.
The programme aims to:
Optimise the agricultural irrigation by increasing by ten percentage points the efficiency
of the whole system (to reach 70%), which would make possible water savings in all
the irrigation areas. These water savings could be very important in volume in areas
without supply problems, or in those with more water supply than demand. This is
already an environmental improvement (less water abstractions), but also, it allows for
extra water resources for environmental purposes (wetlands, aquifers) or, in some cases,
these water savings could be allocated to under-supplied water irrigation areas.
Improve the water management , by promoting new technologies, lowering production
costs, increasing the value-added and upgrading manpower efficiency, which leads to a
strengthened competitiveness of farms and of the rural economy. Also, this improves
the quality of life of workers, farmers and their families.
4.
3 760 000 ha with irrigation systems; 3 344 637 ha irrigated on average (9 291 000 acres;
8 264 485 acres)
5.
An irrigated plot of land is considered “under-supplied” when water supply is less than 70% of
the demand.
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