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’
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