Farmers’ profiles and behaviours toward desalinated seawater for irrigation: Insights from South-east Spain

<p>The Segura Hydrographic Demarcation (DHS), in Southeastern Spain, is an area of hydric deficit caused by low and irregular rainfall and a dense population. In this region water scarcity is a burning issue that polarizes society for or against different models of ensuring water supply. Given the current demand for water throughout Spain, desalination has been used to increase water supply, and as insurance against drought. Ten seawater desalination plants and hundreds of brackish aquifer desalination plants treat water in the Southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, both for human consumption and for irrigation, contributing to economic, energetic, processual and economic aspects of territorial organization in the Southeast of Spain. This article reviews debates over desalination, water transfers, and the best way to meet water demands in that region. While desalination allows an increase in water supply, dependence on that source increases energy costs and may lead to mistaken assumptions among users about water scarcity and availability.</p><p><strong>Keywords: </strong>seawater desalination, brackish aquifer desalination, human water supply, social debate, irrigation, Southeast of Spain</p>

Environmental impact of water supply and water use in a Mediterranean water stressed region

Examining the perceptions and behaviours of farmers regarding the installation of covers over irrigation ponds: Evidence from South-east Spain

Energy and greenhouse-gas emissions in irrigated agriculture of SE (southeast) Spain. Effects of alternative water supply scenarios

For the Chilean economy, the blueberry and apple sector have an important role regarding production and employment. To remain competitive in the export supply chain, farmers require to adjust to more efficient and productive systems. One important way to increase agricultural productivity is through the introduction of improved agricultural technologies and management systems. In particular, the study focuses on how levels of innovation, measured by complexity and investments requirements of the adopted technologies, relates to innovative behavior and complying with social responsibility practices, as two indicators of the farmer's behavior towards innovation. A typology of farmers with different technological levels was constructed based on multivariate techniques, according to the adoption of seven technologies. Findings showed three clusters: cluster I of high technology farms (32.2%), cluster II of farms with complex and low-cost technologies (27%), and cluster III of farms with low technology (40.68%). Within the cluster, it was identified that cluster I, farmers have a positive attitude toward innovation and the highest SR implementation rates. The farmers from cluster I were similar from cluster II in structural variables, but they significantly differ in innovative behavior attitudes. Cluster III, significantly differ with cluster I in structural variables, behavioral variables, and SR practices. The results showed the heterogeneity among farmers and the complexity of the adoption decision-making process shading lights on policy design to enhance innovation, research and technology transfer among farmers Acknowledgement :

Brackish water desalination by electrodialysis: batch recirculation operation modeling

Photovoltaic electrodialysis system for brackish water desalination: Modeling of global process

The promotion of electric energy production from solid biomass by the Austrian government has lead to a boom in the construction of new combined heat and power plants. The current total demand for wood chips in the research area for energy purposes is 70 400 m of loose volume chips per year. The expected increase in demand due to these new plants is more than 4 times greater than current demand: up to 302 700 m of loose volume per year. Even if the energy wood feedstock potential is satisfactory, the design of the supply chain is still unresolved. The aim of this study is to give decision-makers a base for further development. To accomplish this, we designed and tested four different supply scenarios: one for 9 plants and one for 16 plants. The scenarios were developed using a combination of geographic information systems (GIS) and linear programming methods. The results indicate that direct transport of solid fuel wood as round wood and chipping at the plant is the cheapest supply system with a resulting cost of 5.6–6.6 EUR/m loose. Using harvesting residues can only be recommended for large plants because of poor fuel quality. In this case, residues would be chipped at or near the landing, piled and transported via self-loading trucks at a cost between 8.4 and 9.1 EUR/m loose. In order to meet increasing demand and to ensure a continuous supply, especially during the winter and spring seasons it is necessary to optimize the supply chain by including storage terminals. However, using terminals and increased demand both lead to higher logistical costs. For example, if the total volume is handled via terminals, the average supply costs including storage will increase by 26%. Higher demand increases the costs by 24%.3333

Desalination and the environment

Copenhagen and the surrounding municipalities face serious water supply challenges due to the combined effects of population growth, urbanization, pollution, and political pressure from the EU Water Framework Directive. The Blue Lagoon has been identified as a possible solution to these challenges that would improve both the self-sufficiency and long term sustainability of the city’s water supply through the utilization of an internal resource that is currently considered as a waste product. In addition, the lagoon would provide an environmental benefit through reduction of the nutrient load that is currently released from wastewater treatment plants during normal flow and overflow events. The Lagoon could also be a valuable component of an improved storm water management system. Presently, water is abstracted from groundwater resources, used, treated, and then pumped to either the Oresund or Koge Bugt. The Blue Lagoon would reuse the waste stream that is currently discharged and recycle the resource back into the urban water cycle [Figure 1]. An artificial lagoon would be used to mix effluent from wastewater treatment plants with seawater, and then used as a source for a Reverse Osmosis (RO) water treatment plant. In addition to improving self-sufficiency and sustainability, this configuration would reduce the salinity (TDS) of the source water for the RO plant and reduce the economic and energy burden when compared to conventional desalination of seawater. Data regarding possible flow sources to the lagoon was compiled and combined with other information in a model to evaluate possible lagoon configurations, resulting water quality and whether or not the lagoon would meet requirements that had been established. In addition, an economic analysis was conducted to further assess lagoon configurations and the economic viability of the lagoon compared to direct desalination of water from Koge Bugt. Results indicate that connection to one or two treatment plants would provide a constant supply and excess lagoon volume for dilution with seawater while still achieving a 35-80% reduction in TDS in the feed stream to a RO plant. No configurations met the water quality standards that had been set for the lagoon. Additional treatment processes are necessary to reduce the average total phosphorus concentration in treatment plant effluent streams from approximately 0.5 mg/l to 0.04 mg/l. Economic evaluation revealed that the operational cost of producing water via the lagoon would be 0.003 to 0.018 DKK/m3 cheaper than direct seawater desalination. Through efficient lagoon configuration, dilution of wastewater effluent is achieved, while still reducing TDS in the feed stream to the RO plant. More investigation is necessary to fully evaluate The Blue Lagoon; however none of the results of this project indicate that this concept is a “pie in the sky”. On the contrary, there is ample evidence to indicate that this is a viable solution that would provide a reliable, high quality, sustainable, and self-sufficient water supply for the city of Copenhagen and the surrounding municipalities.

The pressure on available freshwater resources due to urbanization and climate change impacts is increasing worldwide; so follows the need to explore unconventional resources. Water reuse and desalination are viable options for alternative water supplies, also for regions that had no need to consider these approaches in the past. However, these solutions need to be tailored to local conditions, be balanced against conventional supply options while minimizing any adverse health and environmental impacts. There is increasing interest in developing new planning tools, technological solutions and approaches in this field to foster safe and economically viable water reuse and desalination applications. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) realized these needs at an early stage and launched the major funding initiative ‘WavE’ (www.bmbf-wave.de/en) in 2016 entitled ‘Future-oriented Technologies and Concepts to Increase Water Availability by Water Reuse and Desalination’ within the framework program ‘Research for Sustainable Development (FONA)’ and the research agenda on Green Economy. WavE is aimed at developing innovative technologies and management concepts to foster a sustainable increase in water availability. The aim is to provide sustainable solutions for national and international applications. This book reports research highlights from comprehensive research projects addressing contemporary approaches to evaluate new technologies and concepts in non-potable water reuse applications, multi-barrier concepts for potable and non-potable reuse applications, concepts for industrial reuse and resource recovery approaches for brine streams, as well as onsite desalination technologies for developing communities. In Focus–a book series that showcases the latest accomplishments in water research. Each book focuses on a specialist area with papers from top experts in the field. It aims to be a vehicle for in-depth understanding and inspire further conversations in the sector

Population growth has increased in the last two centuries. In the driest countries, water supply alternatives are scarce, and desalination is an alternative to guarantee water supply. The question is what conditions must be met by the new desalination plants to achieve the objectives of sustainability. The present study is an analysis of the social, economic, and environmental variables that are critical in the development of desalination plants: technology used, energy sources, correction of the generated environmental impacts, and the most appropriate contractual model for its development. These attributes justify at the time of writing why reverse osmosis is the safest and most efficient technology among those available and those that are under investigation. It is proposed to incorporate renewable energy production sources, although it is still necessary to continue depending on the significant contribution of the traditional energy sources. The need will also be demonstrated to adopt corrective measures to mitigate against the impact produced on the environment by energy production and to implement monitoring plans to confirm the validity of these corrective measures. Finally, turnkey contracts are proposed because osmosis technology is complex, although technology should be justified by means of a decision support system. One of the determining factors is proposed in this present analysis.

The Availability of water for irrigation purposes can be broadly divided into two types, namely the availability of water in the land and availability of water in take buildings. The availability of irrigation water both on land and in buildings is expected to meet the need of making irrigation water needed in irrigation areas were reviewed in accordance with its area and cropping patterns that exist. The research done is to calculate the availability of irrigation water, the water requirement of rice plants and distribution efficiency. To calculate availability and water requirements of rice plants needed data as a reference, namely data from the Meteorology and Geophysics Musi rawas district , while to analyze the efficiency of distribution used discharge data measured by the method of floating then compared the results of discharge at the beginning and the discharge end of the channel. The results of calculations and measurements, availability of water in the Senaro Village can be fulfilled It can be seen from the average availability, in the first planting season (September to Januari) average of 0,92 m3/sec with an average water demand for -0,04 m3/sec and the second planting season (Januari toMei) average of 0,47 m3/sec with an average water demand of 0,04m3/sec. As for the value of the efficiency of each tertiary channel in Senaro village is 1-4m ka has efficiency values of 91%, 2-4m ka has efficiency values of 86% ,3-4m ka has efficiency values of 74% 4-4m ka has efficiency value of 64%. 5-4m ka has efficiency value of 72%. Â Keywords : Availability of Water Irrigation, Water Supplies, Efficiency Distribution

Desalination for sustaining agricultural production is conceived as an alternative water source in some Mediterranean countries faced with climatological and hydrological constraints. Although high costs are often cited as limiting factors, how farmers discern desalinated water has not been discussed in-depth in the literature. This paper aims to deepen how desalination is perceived by irrigators, what driving factors are affecting irrigation communities’ decision-making processes, and what learnings can be drawn from their experiences regarding desalination acceptance or rejection. Eleven irrigation communities have been selected from Alicante and Murcia regions (South-East Spain), which account for more than 60,000 irrigators and 120,000 ha. Questionnaires were conducted between March and December 2019. Results highlighted the main advantages (water availability and supply security) and disadvantages (high price affecting profitable crop options, high-energy consumption, water quality standards, the production capacity of desalination plants, no seasonal variation in water production, and shortages due to technical problems) of using desalinated water. Additionally, through the analysis of regional and national press news, it can be concluded that socio-political aspects, such as corruption, cost overruns, and political disputes are also considered.

Direct and indirect effect of irrigation water availability on crop revenue in northwest Ethiopia: A structural equation model