An initiative towards water saving: Non-conventional water resources as an additional irrigation water source, By Atef Hamdy, Emeritus Professor, Water Resources Management Ciheam/MAIBari, Italy, Land and Water Days in Near East & North Africa, 15-18 December 2013, Amman, Jordan

1. An initiative towards water saving:
Non-conventional water resources as an
additional irrigation water source
by
Atef Hamdy
Emeritus Professor,
Water Resources Management
Ciheam/MAIBari, Italy

2. Water resources: the dominant facts
The dominant fact that will be strongly evident over the next few decades
in the structural imbalance between the constantly increasing demand for
water to meet the needs and the limited natural available water supply :
A)
Water Resources Dilemma in the Mediterranean Region.
B) Managerial Capacity Building
Most developing countries in the Mediterranean are suffering big
shortages in the water managers who are capable not only to evaluate the
problem, but, to find the reasonable solutions; those with good understanding
to integrate ecological and human water needs in a comprehensive way.

3. The 3 approaches
1- by increasing the efficiency with which current needs are met
2- by increasing the efficiency with which water is allocated among different uses
3- by introducing non-traditional sources of supply including, saline, reclaimed or
recycled water and in some limited circumstances, desalinized brackish water or
seawater

4. Why water saving in the Agricultural Sector?
3
Water rrequirements /ye ar] 3/year]
W ate D e m and [in km [km
4 1 4 .5
3 5 6 .9
450
278
400
350
300
+49%
+28%
250
200
150
100
50
0
1990
Water demand
2010
2025

5. Why water saving in the Agricultural Sector?
140
water losses by sector (km3/year)
129.9
114.4
120
100
71.1
80
60
43.3
40
11.44
20
0
4.1
drinking
water
supply
Water losses
leaks or
misuses
(domestic,
industrial)
losses in
irrigation
conveyance
inefficient
irrigation
water
subtotal
agriculture
TOTAL

6. Why water saving in the Agricultural Sector?
Possible water savings

7. Why water saving in the Agricultural Sector?
278
300
250
200
148
150
74
100
56
50
0
Water
demand
Effectively
used
Possible
savings
Summary of the situation
Shortage

8. WATER USE EFFICIENCY IN AGRICULTURAL SECTOR AND ITS
IMPACT ON WATER SUPPLY

9. RAP “Water Resources Management”
F IE L D O F A C T IO N S
E con om ical
T echn ical
S ocial
U se of
n on -con ven tion al
w ater resou rces
Irrigation
w ater u se
efficien cy
P erform an ce
an alysis of
collective
irr. system s
P articip atory Irr.
M an agem en t (P IM ) &
W ater U ser A ssociation s (W U A )
C apacity B u ildin g
In stitu tion al im provem en t
H R D (H u m an R esou rces D evelopm en t)
A llocation E fficien cy &
w ater valu ation

10. 4th World Water Forum
20 March 2006
Water Use Efficiency in Agriculture and Potentials
for Water Saving in the Middle East Region
Regional Action Programme on “Water Resources Management”
Conclusion
In tern a tio n a l
•F A O , R o m e
•IC A R D A , A lep p o
•IF A D , R o m e
•W o rld B a n k , W a sh in g to n
•IN P IM , W a sh in g to n
Ita ly
•B a ri U n iv .
•P o ly tech n ics o f B a ri
•C a ta n ia U n iv .
•F o g g ia Irr. C o n so rtia
•U n iv . O f T rieste
•C N R - B a ri
B ari In stitute
T u n isia
•M in . o f A g ric.
M o ro cco
•IN R A T , A ria n a
•M in istry o f A g ricu ltu re
•IR E S A , T u n is
•IA V H a ssa n II, R a b a t
•IN A T , T u n is
•IA V H a ssa n II, A g a d ir
A lg eria
•IN R A , S etta t
•M in . o f A g ricu ltu re
•M A A E , R a b a t
•IN S ID , A lg er
M a lta
•M in . o f A g ric.
•In st. W a ter T ech .
R A P -W R M
P artn ers
Atef Hamdy
T u rk ey
•C u k u ro v a U n iv .
•K a ra h m a n m a ra s U n iv
S yria
•M in . o f A g ric.
C yp ru s
•M in . o f A g ric.
•A R I, N ico sia
N W R C - C airo
E g yp t
•M in . o f W a ter R es.
a n d Irrig a tio n
•M in . o f A g ricu ltu re
•A R C
•N R C
•C L E Q M
L eb a n o n
•M in . o f A g ric.
•N R C , B eiru t
•L A R I. B eiru t
•IS IA M , T a m a il
•S a n t-E sp rit d e
K a slik U n iv .
J o rd a n
•A m m a n U n iv .

11. EU/CIHEAM-MAI.B
Regional Action Programme
“Water Resources
Management”
Logistic Support
Aid to Decision Making
Research Project “WASIA”
Research Networks
M.Sc. Mobilization Program
Advanced Short Courses
Activities

12. 4th World Water Forum
20 March 2006
Water Use Efficiency in Agriculture and Potentials
for Water Saving in the Middle East Region
WAter Saving in Irrigated Agriculture
WASIA project
General objective:
• to develop a conceptual framework for
water saving in agriculture through the
integration of
– Water Use Efficiency in cropping
practices (WUE),
– Irrigation Systems Performances
(ISP), and
– Use of Non-conventional Water
Resources (NWR)
NWR
WUE
ISP
Atef Hamdy

13. Sustainable use of Non-Conventional water
resources (Treated wastewater and saline
brakish water)
Some Successful Case Studies

14. 4th World Water Forum
20 March 2006
Water Use Efficiency in Agriculture and Potentials
for Water Saving in the Middle East Region
WAter Saving in Irrigated Agriculture
WASIA project, Results and Outputs
1. Reuse of Treated Wastewater for Irrigation of Cereals, Forage and Vegetables
by Means of Different Irrigation Methods (Agadir, Morocco)
2. Recycling of Drainage Water for Sustainable Irrigated Agriculture
(Western Nile Delta, Egypt)
3. Sustainable Use of Highly Saline Water for Irrigation of Crops
Under Arid and Semiarid Conditions (Adana, Turkey)
4. Development of Screening Legumes and Forage Nursery for
Salinity Tolerance (ICARDA, Aleppo, Syria)
Atef Hamdy

15. 4th World Water Forum
20 March 2006
Water Use Efficiency in Agriculture and Potentials
for Water Saving in the Middle East Region
Regional Action Programme on “Water Resources Management”
Conclusion
In order to move from WATER SCARCITY to WATER SECURITY, the
following Local Actions should be generalised to the whole region:
1. Collect, treat and reuse every single drop of wastewater and
drainage water;
2. Increase the Water Use Efficiency (more “crop per drop”) through:
• the use of modern irrigation systems (sprinkler irrigation, drip
irrigation),
• Deficit irrgation,
• Supplemental irrigation,
• Water harvesting.
3. A more efficient, equitable water allocation through the use of new
technologies for water distribution at farm-level (AcquaCard).
Atef Hamdy

16. 4th World Water Forum
20 March 2006
CIHEAM
Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, Italy
Atef Hamdy
Water Use Efficiency in Agriculture and Potentials
for Water Saving in the Middle East Region