Managing water for agriculture in UK and other EU...
Transcript of Managing water for agriculture in UK and other EU...
Managing water for agriculture in UK and other EU statesMelvyn Kay
Exec Secretary
UK Irrigation Association
Common ground?
Supplementary irrigation
UK irrigated area
– 150,000 ha
Surface water and
groundwater
Increasing demand for
water across all sectors
Growing concerns over water scarcity
Need to improve water
governance
In UK – Irrigation
People generally have little appreciation of the water required to produce our food
The surface water story
In 1963…Water Act
Increasing water demands in all sectors
Concerns about WFD & droughts
Abstraction licence reform
The ground-water story
Impact on river flows
WFD and abstraction
The farmers’ story
• Water shortages
• Pressure from other water users
• Water industry & Env lobby well organised
• Irrigated agriculture - fragmented
• Irrigation – low priority?
• No coherent voice
• Pressures from all sides
We asked farmers…
• Face these problems alone?
• Or work together?
• It was a drought brought answers
• This was the beginning of Water Abstractor Groups (WAGs)
WAGs – starting up
• A dependence on irrigation
• Threat to livelihoods
• Small group of key individuals
• People who take a medium/long term view
• A strong desire to increase influence
Sustaining WAGs…
• A strong common interest
• Developing knowledge
• Value for money
• Autonomy to devise rules, resolve conflicts
• Openness and cooperation
Finding WAG ‘hotspots’Water availability Licenced abstractors ‘Hotspots’
The drainage story
Association of Drainage Authorities
112 Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs)
Main purpose: water level management
1.2 million hectares
Protects 85% of Grade 1 land
Principle:
He who benefits - pays
He who pays gets a say
The cooperation story
Water Resources East (WRE) a multi-company, multi-sector long-term water resource strategy for eastern England
Connecting drainage with irrigation
UK Irrigation Association
• Farmers tired of poor government extension service
• They wanted something better
• Lead farmers formed UKIA – and still run it• It is not a trade association
• Independent of government
• Provides advice to farmers
• Advocate wise use of water for agriculture
• Is now a strong voice for irrigation in water resources debate
www.ukia.org
Thank you
Quote from a farmer and WAG member…[on managing water resources]…’in my view the last person to manage water should be those up there. It should be those on the ground who manage it – those who wish to should be allowed to do it’