PICO
The proper management of blue and green water is vital for sustainable livelihoods and agricultural practices around the world. This is especially true in drylands, where any productive activity is deeply related to the understanding of soil hydrological behaviour, and irrigation is both a pillar of agroecosystems and a defence against desertification, but also in temperate or humid lands which can experience variations in the hydrological cycle and be prone to water scarcity due to climate change.
Improper practices, which are not able to cope with climate-induced variability and anomalies, may in fact contribute to soil degradation and depletion of the available water sources. For example, incorrect irrigation techniques may lead to soil salinization and groundwater depletion or salinization, with dramatic fallout on agricultural productivity. Irrigation efficiency improvements could paradoxically lead to increasing water consumption and water scarcity conditions through irrigation expansion and complex socio-hydrological dynamics. Finally, overgrazing may lead to exploitation of vegetation cover, soil compaction, and adverse effects on the soil capability of water buffering. It is thus clear that the role of irrigation goes beyond the technological aspects, as proved by traditional irrigation being a cultural heritage which is often structurally resilient, and which needs to be faced with an interdisciplinary approach involving humanities.
This session welcomes contributions with a specific focus on:
• The understanding of soil hydrological behaviour, of mass fluxes through the soil and of the related sociohydrological dynamics in drylands and environments under actual or projected stress conditions (e.g. water shortage, compaction, salinization)
• The interactions between irrigation, soil hydrology (including deep drainage) and socio-economic impacts.
• The analysis of the bio-geo-physical and social dynamics related to rainfed and irrigated agriculture in both arid and non-arid areas and oases, including the use of non-conventional waters (e.g. water harvesting), and managed aquifer recharge systems
• The management of rangeland areas, including their restoration
This session is co—sponsored by the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID, to be confirmed) and the International Center for Agriculture Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA, to be confirmed).