In recent years, many modernization processes have been undertaken in irrigation districts with the main objective to improve water use efficiency. In southern Spain, many irrigation districts have either been modernized or are currently being improved. However, as part of the modernization process some unexpected side effects have been observed. This paper analyzes the relative advantages and limitations of modernization based on field data collected in a typical Andalusian irrigation district. Although the amount of water diverted for irrigation to farms has been considerably reduced, consumptive use has increased, mainly due to a change in crop rotations. The costs for operation and system maintenance have dramatically risen (400%) as the energy for pumping pressurized systems is much higher now compared to gravity fed systems used previously. Then a regional analysis in ten Southern Spain irrigation districts of the relationship between energy requirements and irrigation water applied has been carried out. Results show that to apply an average depth of 2590 m 3 ha, the energy required was estimated to be 1000 kWh ha -1 . A new approach is needed that involves efficient management of both water and energy resources in these modernized systems. Finally, some energy saving options are identified and discussed.Additional key words: energy use; performance indicators; pressurized irrigation networks; Spain. ResumenLa paradoja de la modernización de zonas regables: uso más eficiente del agua vinculado al aumento de la demanda energética En los últimos años se han llevado a cabo numerosos procesos de modernización en comunidades de regantes con el principal objetivo de mejorar la eficiencia en el uso del agua. En el sur de España se han modernizado, o están en proceso, muchas comunidades de regantes, pero se han observado efectos diferentes a los previstos. En este trabajo se analizan las ventajas e inconvenientes de la modernización usando datos de campo obtenidos en una comunidad de regantes típica de Andalucía. Aunque la cantidad de agua destinada para el riego de las parcelas se redujo, el uso consuntivo de agua se incrementó, fundamentalmente debido al cambio de cultivos. Los costes de operación y mantenimiento del sistema aumentaron considerablemente (400%) ya que la energía requerida para bombear el agua a la red de presión es muy superior en comparación con la situación anterior. Posteriormente se analiza la relación entre el uso del agua y el consumo energético en diez comunidades de regantes del sur de España. Los resultados muestran que para aplicar una lámina media de 2590 m 3 ha -1 , la energía requerida es de 1000 kWh ha -1 . Por ello, en este tipo de redes, cada vez es más necesario manejar los recursos agua y energía de una manera eficiente. Finalmente se discuten diversas medidas de ahorro energético.Palabras clave adicionales: eficiencia energética; España; indicadores de gestión; redes de riego a presión.

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The use of vertical greenery systems in buildings is becoming very popular as they provide several benefits. In this work, the influence of an indoor living wall on the temperature and humidity in a hall inside the School of Agricultural Engineering (University of Seville) was studied. Four different substrates, Geotextile, Epiweb, Xaxim and coconut fibre, were used to grow the plants in order to assess their performance. Several parameters such as temperature, humidity, plant growth or water consumption were monitored and analyzed during a 4-month period. The cooling effect of the living wall was proven, with an average reduction of 48C over the room temperature though maximum decrements of 68C have been observed in warmer conditions. Higher air humidity levels were experienced near the living wall, increasing the overall humidity in the room. All the substrates tested were suitable for plant growing and their behaviour was similar. Geotextile showed the best cooling capacity but higher water consumption, coconut fibre presented degradation problems and Epiweb performance was the poorest. Therefore, these systems have been proven to be very useful and interesting for warm indoor environments due to the cooling effect observed in addition to their bio-filtration capacity and the aesthetic component.

Living walls are systems that allow the development of vegetation in a vertical surface attached to building facades or indoor walls. Traditionally, they have behaved as 'passive' bio-filters, but new approaches and technologies are moving towards their integration within the building's air conditioning and ventilation systems. In an Active Living Wall (ALW), air is forced to pass through the vegetated wall to take advantage of their evaporative cooling potential as well as the capacity of these biological systems to purify air. In the case of indoor ALWs, air is cooled, bio-filtered and humidified thus potentially reducing ventilation requirements. This work describes a prototypic indoor ALWs installed at the University of Seville (Spain). Preliminary results of its performance on indoor air conditions (temperature and humidity) are presented and discussed. Drops in temperature between 0.8 and 4.8 • C have been observed at different distances from the ALW. The cooling process was more efficient when the initial conditions of the room were drier and warmer.

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W e are currently witnessing the fourth industrial revolution 1 . Technological innovations have altered the way in which economies operate and how people interact with built, social and natural environments. One area of transformation is the emergence of robotics and autonomous systems (RAS), defined as technologies that can sense, analyse, interact with and manipulate their physical environment 2 . RAS include unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), self-driving cars, robots able to repair infrastructure, and wireless sensor networks used for monitoring. RAS therefore have a large range of potential applications, such as autonomous transport, waste collection, infrastructure maintenance and repair, policing 2,3 and precision agriculture 4 (Fig. 1). RAS have already revolutionized how environmental data are collected 5 and how species populations are monitored for conservation 6 and/or control 7 . Globally, the RAS market is projected to grow from $6.2 billion in 2018 to $17.7 billion in 2026 8 .Concurrent with this technological revolution, urbanization continues at an unprecedented rate. By 2030, an additional 1.2 million km 2 of the planet's surface will be covered by towns and cities, with ~90% of this development happening in Africa and