Abstract
Abstract Water-saving agricultural practices can reduce negative environmental impacts in water-scarce regions all over the world. This study deals with an innovation that combines hydroponic crop production and municipal wastewater reuse for irrigation purposes. The research question was what impacts such hydroponic water reuse systems have on product confidence, economic viability, groundwater recharge, biodiversity and landscape quality. It should also be clarified under which conditions and with which measures these systems can be sustainable. To answer these questions, a number of generic hydroponic water reuse systems were modeled and assessed using a Bayesian Belief Network that included both numerical values and expert knowledge. The hydroponic water reuse systems with the most positive overall impacts are small-scale food production systems (tomatoes) equipped with lighting and heating whose products are marked with a quality label or with a label for regional products. The systems are located in a former industrial area. In addition, a wetland system and landscape integration are implemented as landscaping measures. Hydroponic systems can be operated economically viable, their products have a high level of product confidence and their ecological impacts can be positive. No tradeoffs have to be accepted between economic, social and ecological goals.
Highlights
Agriculture accounts for approximately. 70% of withdrawals of global freshwater resources and is by far the largest consumer of water compared with other sectors
The study shows that hydroponic water reuse systems can be operated economically viable, that their products have a high level of product confidence and that their ecological effects can be positive if appropriate landscaping measures are taken
The expert discussions resulted in a Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) that consists of five system variables describing properties of hydroponic water reuse systems, two measures relating to product confidence and landscaping as well as the pre-defined five social, economic and ecological impact variables
Summary
Agriculture accounts for approximately. 70% of withdrawals of global freshwater resources and is by far the largest consumer of water compared with other sectors. 70% of withdrawals of global freshwater resources and is by far the largest consumer of water compared with other sectors. In arid and semi-arid areas, the withdrawals can even be as high as 85%. About 40% of the agricultural food produced is irrigated (Chmielewski ). Agriculture is dependent on irrigation in arid and semi-arid zones. Even in intensively cultivated agricultural areas in Germany, agriculture is confronted with problems of water scarcity. 451,800 ha (or 1.3%) of agricultural land in Germany are irrigated (Statistisches Bundesamt ). In the German strategy for adaptation to climate change, it was found that
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