Prospects for improving gravity-fed surface irrigation systems in Mediterranean European contexts

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2017Author
Masseroni, Daniele
Ricart, Sandra
Ramirez de Cartagena, Francisco
Gonçalves, José Manuel
Lima, Isabel de
Facchi, Arianna
Sali, Guido
Gandolfi, Claudio
Suggested citation
Masseroni, Daniele;
Ricart, Sandra;
Ramirez de Cartagena, Francisco;
Monserrat Viscarri, Joaquín;
Gonçalves, José Manuel;
Lima, Isabel de;
...
Gandolfi, Claudio.
(2017)
.
Prospects for improving gravity-fed surface irrigation systems in Mediterranean European contexts.
Water, 2017, vol. 9, núm. 1, p. 1-22.
https://doi.org/10.3390/w9010020.
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Traditionally, most irrigation practices in Southern Europe have been based on gravity-fed
surface irrigation systems. Currently, these systems remain a relevant typology in the European Union
(EU) member states of the Mediterranean areas, where it is often the only sustainable method for
farmers due to the small size of agricultural holdings, their reduced capacity and readiness to invest
and the low ratio between yield profits and irrigation costs. In the last several years, in response
to European and national directives, surface irrigation has garnered increasing attention at the
political and bureaucratic levels due to frequent criticisms of its postulated low efficiency and high
water wastage. However, these systems commonly provide a number of ecosystem services and
nature-based solutions that increase the positive externalities in different rural socio-ecological
contexts and often have the potential to extend these services and provide solutions that are
compatible with economical sustainability. This study aims to discuss the prospects for new practices
and for the rehabilitation and modernization of the gravity-fed surface irrigation systems in EU
Mediterranean areas to enhance water efficiency, thus gaining both economic advantages and
environmental benefits. The difficulties, stimuli for improvements and peculiarities of the irrigation
water management of four rural environments located in Italy, Spain and Portugal were analyzed
and compared to the current state of the gravity-fed surface irrigation systems with hypothetical
future improvements achievable by innovative technologies and practices. In these different case
studies, the current gravity-fed surface irrigation systems have an obsolete regulatory structure;
water-use efficiency is not a driving criterion for the management of the conveyance and distribution
canal network, and farmers are not yet adequately encouraged to adopt more efficient gravity-fed
irrigation practices. A continuous knowledge exchange is thus necessary for the interaction of all
irrigation water managers and farmers to improve their eco-efficiency and to preserve and promote
their cultural heritage across the entire water supply and delivery chains. We argue that the best
way forward will require precisely targeted rehabilitation measures of gravity-fed surface irrigation
systems based on the integrated use of decision support services, gate automation, remote and
feedback controls and real-time flow optimization.
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Water, 2017, vol. 9, núm. 1, p. 1-22European research projects
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