Water Research. International cooperation: knowledge transfer, technical assistance and capacity building

Transcription

1 Water Research International cooperation: knowledge transfer, technical assistance and capacity building

2 Introduction The cross-cutting Research Area on WATER at IRTA is participated by several Scientific Programs: Efficient Use of Water (EUA), Environmental Horticulture (EH), Aquatic Ecosystems (AE) and Agrofood and Environmental Economics (CREDA). Researchers and technicians closely collaborate to develop applied technologies and methods to increase water use efficiency at the plot/orchard/landscape level, to minimise the environmental impacts of farming on aquatic ecosystems and to promote a sustainable use of water resources in semi-arid regions. The Europe 2020 strategy envisages a greener development while ensuring food security. Thus, a sustainable and efficient water management is a critical issue to meet this goal. In view of this challenge, IRTA Water Research Area covers the water issues holistically, with the specific expertise of four big scientific areas:

3 AREAS OF EXPERTISE Efficient Use of Water Programme Environmental Horticulture Programme Efficient Use of Water. Evaluation of field and orchard water requirements. Irrigation management strategies to increase water use efficiency. Water Management under Deficit Conditions. How to obtain the maximum benefits of reduced amounts of water. Seasonal plant sensitivity to water stress. Mineral and Irrigation Nutrition. Interactions of nutrients and water on plants and their fruits. Irrigation Engineering. Implementing the know-how in an easy way to facilitate farmer s irrigation management. Regional Scale Irrigation Control. Develop knowledge, information and technologies to manage irrigation water at regional scale. Optimization of horticultural crop productivity under Mediterranean conditions with a scientific, technical and environmental approach. Life cycle analysis and water and carbon footprint in horticultural practices. Ecophysiology as a tool for precision agriculture and for the characterization of plant responses to wild or anthropogenic environments. Optimization of irrigation with non-conventional waters resources. Study of water, carbon and nitrogen flows in interfaces between crops and other habitats, under global change conditions. Evaluation and improvement of the environmental impact caused by horticultural systems.

4 Aquatic Ecosystems Programme Agrofood and Environmental Economics Programme Analysis of impacts of farming activities on aquatic ecosystems. Use of bio-indicators for the assessment of the ecological quality of water bodies. Determination of environmental flow requirements for rivers and estuaries. Study and management of invasive species in aquatic ecosystems. Traditional Cost-Benefit Analysis, where alternative scenarios on prices could be developed. Extended Cost-Benefit Analysis, where alternative management systems and price scenarios could be considered. Farmer s rate of adoption of alternative irrigation technologies. Use of economic theory based models paying special attention to farmers risk attitudes Analysis of technical and economic efficiency at farm level. Elaboration of indicators of sustainability taking into account the economic, environmental and social dimensions, and the social impact of new technologies.

5 International Cooperation The IRTA Research Area on Water has a large international cooperation experience, attracting high level research collaborations with different organizations around the world. Long-lasting research collaborations have been established with different universities and research centers all over Europe. In fact, this group is participating in numerous R&D projects financed mainly by European funds, such as Interreg, 7th Framework Program or Life+. However, other important overseas research alliances exist with the USA, South America, New Zealand, Brasil, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Israel, etc. IRTA has participated in the RIDECO Project, the largest R&D irrigation project within the Spanish CONSOLIDER programme. The project was oriented to develop practical tools to improve irrigation at farm level and to transfer knowledge and technology to growers, water managers, consultants and technicians associated with irrigation. IRTA has also been member of the CONSOLIDER Project MONTES that has provided relevant information on water fluxes at landscape level under current and future Mediterranean conditions. The group has an extensive history of collaboration with different groups of the University of California (Land, Air and Water Resources Department; Pomology and Plant Science Departments, Enology and Viticulture Department, and Arboretum) creating scientific discussion groups, in which our scientists participate in a regular basis, dealing with theoretical concepts of water-related issues but also discussing about practical and applied technologies.

6 IRTA is widely recognized for its capacity to interact closely with the everyday activities of farmers, providing them with training in water management in areas with reduced water availability or drought periods, transferring scientific advances on irrigation engineering and adapting them to specific local requirements. Such interaction takes place in experimental settings located at commercial fields to demonstrate the efficiency of different irrigation strategies and technologies. As a result, discussion forums are established so that the irrigation districts and growers gain knowledge from the results obtained. The group has also participated with its scientific expertise in different projects and forums promoted by FONTAGRO, (Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean countries that supports research and innovation in agriculture) in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. Similar were developed with different institutions (AECID and REDD) in Nicaragua, Brazil, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Morocco, Lebanon, Mauritania and Burundi. The role of IRTA experts was to transfer knowledge on how irrigation savings can be applied without losing crop yield, to improve fruit quality or effectively manage reduced amounts of water to irrigate orchards. Our scientists have participated in international conferences, symposia and workshops such as the Rosenberg Forum on Water Policies, III SCAR Forecast Exercise, Copenhagen Forum and IICA forums ( Water management as a key factor to produce food, Buenos Aires & Washington). IRTA is also member of the international network CITY BLUEPRINTS: Improving Implementation Capacities of Cities and Regions. IRTA researchers also participate as experts in high-level advisory boards, such as those created by the European Union to implement the Water Framework Directive that establishes the community action in the field of water policy.

7 KEY ACTORS Dr. José M. Gil is of the Dr. Joan Girona, Agricultural Dr. Carles Ibáñez is the Dr. Robert Savé is the head Head of the Agrofood and Engineer in the Polytechnic Head of the Aquatic Ecosys- of the Environmental Horticul- Environmental economics at University of Catalonia (UPC). tems Program at IRTA. He ture Programme at IRTA. His IRTA. He is responsible for He continued his studies in the obtained his PhD in Biology research line is focused on socioeconomic studies related University of California (UC Da- at the University of Barcelona the adaptation trends of plant to the agro-food sector. The vis) where he received his MSc and spent his post-doc in the material to Mediterranean group has extensively worked in Horticulture. In 1994 he grad- Laboratory of Fluvial System agro-systems under global, in farm production economics: uated as a PhD in Agricultural Ecology of CNRS (France). He climate change conditions, efficiency studies, adoption Sciences from the University has 25 years of research expe- in order to improve water, of innovations, investment of Lleida (UdL). He is currently rience in the field of aquatic carbon and nutrients use ef- decisions, decision in uncer- the head of the Efficient Use ecology and sustainable man- ficiency at landscape level. He tainty environment, etc., as of Water Scientific Programme agement of water resources, has a large experience in the well as to better understand at IRTA. His areas of interest with more than 50 papers coordination of national and the impacts of different policy are the plant-water relation- published in peer-reviewed international research projects. instruments on farm manage- ships, plant-crop-orchard water international journals. He has He is member of the expert ment decisions such as agri- requirements, vegetative deficit been member of the Advisory Panel on Climate Change and cultural input use (especially irrigation in orchard and field Council of Sustainable Use member of the Water Experts fertilizers, water and labour) crop plants, the use of reduced of Water of the Government Panel at the Advisory Council on production, land alloca- amounts of water in an efficient of Catalonia, and is currently of Sustainable Use of Water, tion, and farm investments. way, and the optimization of ir- member of the Advisory Coun- both of the Government of Recently, he has coordinated rigation scheduling. Throughout cil for Sustainable Develop- Catalonia. Spanish coordinator two studies on the impact of his scientific career, Joan has ment of the same government. of Global Research Aliance on water irrigation technologies led a large number of research Agricultural Greenhouse Gas- in Mauritania and Burundi. funded projects and published es and professor of Ecology numerous research papers in at the Universitat Autónoma high-impact scientific journals. de Barcelona and Universidad Autónoma de Nicaragua.

8 IRTA S WATER RESEARCH AROUND THE WORLD Europe USA Brazil New Zealand Israel Lebanon Chile Argentina Uruguay Nicaragua Bolivia Morocco Mauritania Burundi Torre Marimón, Ctra. C-59 km 12,1 Caldes de Montbui Barcelona T (+34) F (+34) international@irta.eu