How to reduce the water footprint and improve food security in mountain communities. Presented by Hans Schreier at the "Perth II: Global Change and the World's Mountains" conference in Perth, Scotland in September 2010.

1. How to reduce the water footprint and
improve food security in mountain
communities
Hans Schreier
Faculty of Land & Food Systems
University of British Columbia, Canada

8. Changes in Irrigation and Water Supply
Storage Reservoirs 1913-1998
Year 1913 1956 1972 !998

11. Changes in Cropped Area, Alfalfa, and
Fruit, Okanagan Basin 1976-2006
Total Fruit Land in Crops Alfalfa
50000
Area in ha
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
6 1 6 1 6 1 6
1 97 1 98 1 98 1 99 1 99 2 00 2 00
Changes in Cow numbers in Okanagan Change in Total Hens & Chickens in
Basin 1976-2006 Okanagan Basin 1976-2006
Total # of Chickens
1400000
Beef Cows Dairy Cows Bulls >1y
1200000
40000 1000000
# of Cows
30000 800000
600000
20000
400000
10000 200000
0 0
76
81
86
91
96
01
06
76
81
86
91
96
01
06
19
19
19
19
19
20
20
19
19
19
19
19
20
20

12. Changes in Area/Farm 1981-2006
Okanagan Basin
1981 2006
60
Average ha/Farm
50 49
40 38
30
20 12.6
10.4
10
0
Farm area/Farm Crop area/Farm
Changes in Fruit & Vegetable Area/Farm
Okanagan Basin 1981-2006
1981 2006
8
6.4
6 5.3
ha/farm
4
2.1
1.4 1.6
2
0.5
0
Grapes/Farm Sweet Vegetable/Farm
Cherries/Farm

13. Million m3/year Area in ha
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Ap
p
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
0
Ap
le p
s le
Be s
rr Be
ie rr
Ch s ie
er Ch s
rie er
s rie
s
Fr Fr
ui
G t ui
t
ra G
pe ra
s pe
Fo s
Fo
Ve rag
ge e Ve rag
e
ge
G ta ta
ol bl G bl
f C es ol
f C es
ou ou
rs rs
es es
T T
Nu urf Nu urf
Irrigated Area under Different Crops (ha)
rs rs
Irrigation Water Requirements (Million m3)
er er
ie ie
s s

14. Irrigation Water Requirements (m3/ha/year)
12000
10000
m3 / ha / year
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
s
B s
es
es
s
Fo s
ur rf
t
f C le s
eg age
ui
le
ie
rie
pe
Tu
rs
ri
Fr
rr
pp
ab
se
ra
er
r
ou
he
A
G
et
C
N
ol
V
G
Irrigation Water requirement for Different
Crops in the Okanagan Basin in 2006
Nurseri es Vegeta bl es
2% 3%
Turf Appl es Appl es
2% 21% Berri es
Gra pes
8% Berri es Cherri es
Gol f 0% Other Frui t
8% Cherri es Fora ge
6% Gol f
Other Frui t Gra pes
5% Turf
Fora ge Nurseri es
45% Vegeta bl es

15. m3/ha/y
Al
10000
12000
2000
4000
6000
8000
0
Ap falf
AsApr pl e a
pa ico s
ra ts
Bl Bgus
ue er
be r y
Ce rry
r
Co Cheea l
ve C rry
rG o
ra rn
Fo ss
G rag
in e
si
n
Gg
G ol
r f
Ne G rape
ct as
Nu ari s
rs ne
e
Pe N ry
a c uts
h
Ra Pe e s
sp Pl a rs
So be um
St urc rrie s
r
Swaw her s
the Okanagan Basin in m3/ha/y (2006)
ee ber r y
t r
ToCory
Ve m n
ge Tato
t
Irrigation Water Requirements for difference Crops in
Avabl urf
er es
ag
e

16. Deviation from the Mean for Irrigation Water
Requirement for all Crops (m3/ha/y)
5000
4000 Turf
Deviation from mean m3/ha/ym
Golf
Nectarine
3000 Apricot
Peach
2000 Blueberry Plum
Cherry Nursery
1000 Vegetables
Apples Forage
Pear
0
Tomato
Berry 1 Strawberry
-1000 Nuts
Asparagus Ginsing Raspberries
-2000 Sourcherry
Alfalfa Corn Grape SweetCorn
-3000
Cereal
Grass
-4000

17. Irrigation Factors to Consider
• Climate Change (wet vs. dry years)
• Differences due to Soil Texture
• Different Irrigation Systems
• The Value of Water

18. Difference between Wet and Dry Years

20. Difference in m3/ha/y in Irrigation Water
Requirement by Soil Texture between
Wet and Dry Years in m3/ha/y
1997-Wet 2003-Dry Difference
12000
10000
m3/ha/y
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
S oam
y
y y
y
m
d
ea i c
dy m
d
am am
la
C Cl a
la
an
an
H an
oa
an o a
C
C
Lo Lo
S
S
L
rg
L
L
vy
y
il t
y
il t
O
la
S
y
S
il t
S

22. The Value of Water for Different Crops

27. Summary
• 70% of all water is allocated for agriculture
• Irrigation: 45% for forage crops, 41% for fruit, 7% for golf courses
• Most Water Demanding: Golf, Apricots, Nectarines 8800-10000m3/ha
• Least Water Demanding Crops: Grapes 4000m3/ha
• Difference in water demand between sandy and clay soils 58%
• Differences between drip & sprinkler irrigation: 41% (4000 vs 9700 m3/ha)
• There is a 40% difference between wet and dry years
• Fruit & vegetables are most sensitive to drought (requiring more water)
• The 45 golf courses use 7% of the irrigation water and are the most inefficient
users of water
• As water becomes scarce selecting water efficient crops will become a viable
conservation strategy.