Making Every Drop Count: Redefining Water Efficiency in Agriculture

This article is part of a series about smart water and irrigation management. Click here to read part 1.

A staggering 75% of the GCC's water is absorbed, invested, and lost within the realm of agriculture. In the heart of an arid region, this statistic underscores the complex interplay between sustaining food security and safeguarding dwindling water reserves. As the GCC nations strive to navigate this delicate equilibrium, Helen Bali, Head of Water at WSP in the Middle East, proposes a compelling narrative—one that weaves together the threads of modern innovation and the region’s age-old wisdom.

Water demand for agriculture in the GCC is substantial and should be seen as an area of opportunity to reduce water consumption. But are there other reasons that make irrigation management programmes so important?

Irrigation management can be directly correlated with food production, whether through food crops or animal farming. Within the Middle Eastern region, food security has been identified as essential to its growth and development and prominently featured in the vision statements of many of the region's countries.

In fact, in 2020, the World Bank assessed that 20% of the acutely food-insecure population of the world was living in the Middle East North Africa Region, despite the fact that only 6% of the world's population actually resides in this area. Globally, this has been identified as a growing worldwide problem, wherein increasing populations and the rising food demands of the developing world are expected to drive agriculture to increase by as much as 70% by 2050. This means that the provision of suitable water, in both quantity and quality, to these critical areas becomes critical in itself. If that water is wasted by overwatering crops or due to unnecessary demands, then food production will be restricted, leading to food poverty and hunger. Poor water quality can also affect crop output or result in food contamination, making this an essential factor in the water provided.

Essentially, by implementing lower water-demand solutions, we can make limited water supplies stretch further, thereby increasing agricultural output per liter of water.

If water is wasted, then food production will be restricted, leading to food poverty and hunger

How can the implementation of sustainable agriculture and water-recycling programs help in reducing regional water demands?

Many of the applications mentioned in Part 1 of this series can be as relevant to agriculture as they are to domestic water usage. Potential water sources include treated sewage and greywater, high-level brackish groundwater where available, rainwater harvesting, and maintaining balanced water levels with available sources.

In a region with sparse or erratic rainfall, consideration could be given to storing harvested groundwater in deep aquifers, particularly for larger farms. However, this must be done with suitable water quality controls to prevent aquifer pollution and to ensure that water extracted for irrigation during drier periods doesn't adversely impact the aquifers.

At the irrigation level, emphasis should be placed on modernising existing large-scale irrigation systems as a crucial step in reducing water loss and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Through technology utilisation, water wastage can be significantly minimised, leading to more efficient use of precious water resources during transmission and localised farm operations.

Measures such as reducing seepage in canal systems, combined with improved on-farm water management strategies, provide additional avenues for resource conservation. Utilising automated canal systems to distribute water across catchments, for example, proves to be an effective means of conserving scarce resources, a practice already implemented in various global regions. These systems incorporate sensors, pumping mechanisms, level controls, and other advanced technologies to monitor water levels and redirect water to areas in need.

Early warning systems are vital for helping farmers better prepare and adapt to regional droughts. By providing farmers with near real-time data on soil moisture, rainfall, and water allocations, they can make informed decisions about planting strategies in response to changing weather conditions.

To complement this, proper support, both economic and educational, should be extended to farmers. This assistance can aid them in making necessary changes to their farming practices, whether by enhancing their water-related assets, constructing new ones, or simply gaining a better understanding of their crops' water demands or simply gaining a better understanding of their crops' water demands.

Emphasis should be placed on modernising existing large-scale irrigation systems as a crucial step in reducing water loss and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

How can the GCC countries use less water while achieving their food security objectives?

At the farm level, water efficiency can be enhanced through water accounting, benchmarking, and auditing. This entails closely monitoring water usage to identify areas for improvement and evaluating the amount of water used, lost, or saved within an irrigation system. Furthermore, it is crucial to review and align agricultural management boundaries with local water catchments to maximise the efficient utilisation of available resources.

However, at the farm level, it is equally important to concentrate on reducing demand. Employing technology such as soil moisture sensors to determine when crops genuinely require watering and designing automated systems that water crops only when necessary are key approaches. This can complement irrigation scheduling, which ensures efficient water use while safeguarding the quality of available sources. By employing scheduling algorithms and ground monitoring tools, farmers can ascertain the appropriate amount of water to apply and when, and how excess or inadequate water may affect plant growth.

The use of soil monitoring ensures that water is applied only when required, while rain and weather monitoring helps to stop watering when rain is imminent or occurring. In addition, various metering, controls, and SCADA systems contribute to overall irrigation efficiency.

In tandem with technology, there should be an acknowledgement that not all farming practices introduced since the industrial revolution are optimal for the land. Revisiting older farming practices that were passed down through generations based on the environment itself can be beneficial to minimising demand. For instance, research in the field of conservation agriculture has demonstrated that while tilling the soil can temporarily increase soil water content, the practice disrupts soil structure, resulting in weak structures that rapidly degrade, leading to a soil that cannot absorb water. This results in increased water evaporation in these areas, leading to unnecessary water demand. Introducing practices like zero-tillage seeding to preserve soil structures and focusing on soil cover through planting cover crops and well-designed crop rotation can reduce initial water demand requirements on farms.

Revisiting older farming practices that were passed down through generations based on the environment itself can be beneficial to minimising water demand.

There are further potential solutions under development. One such solution is the integration of hydrogels, also known as water-absorbing polymers, which are considered a cost-effective approach for water retention and sustainable agriculture. By absorbing significant amounts of water, hydrogels can help reduce the need for desalination in regions with low freshwater supplies. Hydrogels function like sponges, holding water and releasing it according to crop needs. This minimises water wastage and provides areas with limited water resources greater control over their scarce water to sustain their farms.

However, technology and emerging solutions are just one element of the equation. From an irrigation perspective, there should also be increased awareness of the types of plants being used, moving away from water-hungry plants to more native ones that offer equally lush or sheltered landscapes with less water consumption.

Conclusion:

As the quest for sustainable agriculture gains momentum, the GCC finds itself at a crossroads where innovation and tradition intertwine. By harnessing the potential of technology to refine irrigation practices and rekindling the wisdom of earlier generations, the region can seamlessly balance its thirst for food security with the imperative of water conservation. These dynamic strategies, from soil monitoring to aquifer storage, represent not only efficient water management but also a promise of resilience for a water-scarce region.

Helen Bali is WSP Middle East’s Head of Water. She leads a diverse team of water experts and engineers across the region to help governmental and non-governmental organisations develop and deliver smart water systems. Helen’s focus is on sustainable solutions that can address the water scarcity challenges in the region while also leveraging emerging technologies to improve water efficiency and reduce waste.