Are Water User Associations Prepared for a Second-Generation Modernization? The Case of the Valencian Community (Spain)

Abstract

This work focuses on the situation of the technological transition to new technologies in drip irrigation in the Valencian Community (Spain). The study covers the last decade with data from interviews to managers of Irrigation Communities in 2010 and 2018. We analyze the main technological problems in seven topics: (i) Catchment & Pumping; (ii) Storage & Regulation; (iii) Treatment & Filtering; (iv) Transport & Distribution; (v) Maneuver, Regulation & Protection; (vi) Automation; (vii) Theft and Vandalism. We also have researched the influence of the performance of the Automation system, the presence of a technician in the Irrigation Community and the use of sensors or climatic data. Results show that problems related to technological maintenance of filtering systems or automation are very common and important and they are more important in large Irrigation Communities. We have also observed that mostly large ICs are using sensors or climatic data for their irrigation schedule. We can conclude that their current situation is focused in the daily maintenance of technological problems, inherited from the first modernization processes at the beginning of 21st century. Hence, they are far away from a second stage of modernization or the smart irrigation pushed by the new advances on technology.

Irrigation Post-Modernization. Farmers Envisioning Irrigation Policy in the Region of Valencia (Spain)

“…In addition to the notable increase in energy consumption, the massive adoption of drip irrigation sponsored by the public sector has generated other problems in the region. One of those most frequently identified, as other authors have already highlighted [48,61], is the theft of metallic materials from new infrastructures (rated as the third problem in predominantly drip areas), which adds unforeseen costs to the O&M tasks. However, aside from the infrastructure, during the workshops, farmers' representatives criticized the infrastructural bias of the modernization mission.…”

Farmers’ Perceptions on an Irrigation Advisory Service: Evidence from Tunisia

“…The authors of [21] showed that, in the irrigated district of Baixo Acaraú in Brazil, the implemented IAS improved water irrigation management in most areas when farmers followed the advised crop irrigation requirements. The authors of [22] observed an increase in the use of ICT for irrigation management at the WUA level in the Valencian community of Spain, particularly in large, irrigated districts mainly driven by the scarcity of the water resources. Regarding the use of ICT in Tunisia, the agricultural sector presents the biggest potential in terms of development and could largely benefit from its usage [23].…”