SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT

The goal of this task is to address the improvement of agricultural practices by tackling water management, also by testing some technical improvements of traditional water harvesting techniques, in order to assess the impacts on water retention in soil. To do so, DPSIR (Driver–Pressures–State–Impact– Response) model has been applied in several case study areas of the project countries to determine the hydrological balance of the regime, as well as the potential pollution sources (such as nitrates concentration in soil). Eventually, the described method will clarify the current state-of-the-art of the impacts of agriculture sector on water quality and quantity as well as integrate the analysis of economic, environmental and social impacts in a specific area, where water deficiency is becoming a major constrain for economic welfare and sustainable regional development. In addition, traditional water harvesting are being tested. Sites in the rain-fed regions where soil water harvesting techniques/structures are realized (e.g. terracing, ridges, pits, bunds, contour ploughing, tie-ridging) have been mapped and characterized for soil and hydrological conditions. Based on the results of the investigation, cost effective and easily adoptable modification of the traditional water harvesting technique have been proposed and are currently being realized, in order to increase soil water retention and augment possibility to bridge dry spells.