Exploring Irrigation and Water Supply Technologies for Smallholder Farmers in the Mediterranean Region

Dina Pereira, João Leitão, Pedro Dinis Gaspar, Cristina Fael, Isabel Falorca, Wael Khairy, Nadya Wahid, Hicham El Yousfi, Bassou Bouazzama, Jan Siering, Harald Hansmann, Jelena Zascerinska (), Sarah Camilleri, Francesca Busuttil, Malcolm Borg, Joseph Mizzi, Reno Micallef and Joseph Cutajar
Additional contact information
Dina Pereira: Centre for Management Studies of Instituto Superior Técnico (CEG-IST), University of Lisbon, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
Pedro Dinis Gaspar: Department of Electromechanical Engineering, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
Cristina Fael: Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
Isabel Falorca: Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
Wael Khairy: Civil Engineering Department, Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, Cairo 11785, Egypt
Nadya Wahid: Faculty of Science and Technology, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni-Mellal 23000, Morocco
Hicham El Yousfi: Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences Souissi, Université Mohammed V de Rabat, Rabat 10000, Morocco
Bassou Bouazzama: National Institute of Research Agronomics of Morocco, Rabat 10090, Morocco
Jan Siering: Hochschule Wismar, 23966 Wismar, Germany
Harald Hansmann: Institut für Polymer- und Produktionstechnologien e. V., 23966 Wismar, Germany
Jelena Zascerinska: Hochschule Wismar, 23966 Wismar, Germany
Sarah Camilleri: The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, QRM 9075 Paola, Malta
Francesca Busuttil: The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, QRM 9075 Paola, Malta
Malcolm Borg: The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, QRM 9075 Paola, Malta
Joseph Mizzi: EcoGozo Directorate, Victoria, VCT 1335 Gozo, Malta
Reno Micallef: EcoGozo Directorate, Victoria, VCT 1335 Gozo, Malta
Joseph Cutajar: EcoGozo Directorate, Victoria, VCT 1335 Gozo, Malta

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 8, 1-25

Abstract: Water security is a hot topic all over the world, due to global warming, climate change, natural calamities such as droughts and floods, overuse of water, and other factors. Water issues have been scientifically investigated from several perspectives, namely institutional, economic, social, environmental, managerial, and technological. However, the technological aspects of irrigation and water supply for smallholder farmers in the Mediterranean region have not been adequately addressed. This paper explores irrigation and water supply technologies for smallholder farmers in the selected Mediterranean countries (Egypt, Malta, Morocco, and Portugal). The methods of analysis are literature review, fieldwork, and observation. The literature survey reveals that Mediterranean countries share many common features in terms of climate, water and land resources, and development issues. Nevertheless, the selected countries in the Mediterranean region (Egypt, Malta, Morocco, and Portugal) differ in terms of type of crops, water management regulations, labor force availability, financial sustainability, and economic approaches. These remarks signal the need for applying a specific approach in selecting a technology for irrigation and water supply according to the regional context. Additionally, the financial and economic perspectives of the three key technologies (i.e., SLECI, desalination technology, and engineering constructed wetlands) require further analysis.

Keywords: agriculture; water-saving irrigation technologies; desalination technology; engineering constructed wetland; irrigation efficiency; Mediterranean region; self-regulating low energy claytube irrigation (SLECI); smallholder farmers; sustainable development; water scarcity; water supply (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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