Prospects of desalination for irrigation water in the Sultanate of Oman

Al-Jabri, Salem A.; Ahmed, Mushtaque; Choudri, B. S.

doi:10.2166/wrd.2015.123

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…We observed that many of the farmers dispose of the brine (EC w = 26 dS/m) directly to soil pits, old wells on their farms, or empty areas in wadies adjacent to their farms (Figure 4b). Similar occurrences of inappropriate brine disposal have also been reported by Al‐Jabri et al (2015). As more than 50% of the volume of feed water used by desalination units will be returned as brine, farmers using desalination plants produce a large volume of brine daily (Al‐Jabri et al, 2015, 2019).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 87%

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Perceptions and attitudes of farmers and landowners on soil salinity management and use of elemental sulphur in Oman

Al‐Mayahi,

Al‐Shibli,

Gibreel

et al. 2023

Soil Use and Management

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Soil salinity threatens agricultural sustainability globally and is a significant challenge in Oman. Previous studies in Oman focused on examining the causality and spatiotemporal variation of groundwater and soil salinity, neglecting farmers' perceptions and attitudes toward salinity management. Therefore, this study evaluates (i) perceptions and attitudes of landowners and farmers toward soil salinity and its management, and (ii) determinants of willingness to use elemental sulfur to alleviate soil salinity in Oman. A questionnaire survey (122 responses) assessed perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge using Likert scales and qualitative questions. Binary Logistic Regression analyzed determinants of willingness to use elemental sulfur. Results reveal variations in perceptions, attitudes, knowledge, and management practices. Most of the respondents were aware of adequate nutrient and water requirements for crops (P<0.05). Respondents rely on social media (38.5%), fellow farmers (32.1%), and personal experiences (11.5%) for knowledge acquisition about soil salinity management. Half of the respondents did not monitor soil salinity, while the other half relied primarily on visual observation. A substantial number (62.6%) of the respondents did not implement any techniques to alleviate soil salinity, while among those who acted, a majority preferred cultivating date palms (55%) or fodders (29.4%). Awareness of the national salinity management strategy and commercial products is lacking. However, when introduced to elemental sulfur as a soil amendment for salinity, 74.8% of the respondents demonstrated a willingness to utilize it. Most (82.4%) preferred elemental sulfur products within the lowest price range. Being a full‐time farmer, owning a farm, awareness of the national strategy, and low‐price preferences were positive determinants, while <1 year farming experience was negative determinant to willingness to use elemental sulfur. These findings inform future research on socio‐economic perceptions of salinity in Oman, the Gulf region, and similar arid areas facing food production limitations.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 87%

“…desalination plants produce a large volume of brine daily (Al-Jabri et al, 2015. If farmers continue to inappropriately dispose of this brine, they will exacerbate the deterioration of soil and groundwater quality at a fast rate.…”

Section: Irrigation Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions and attitudes of farmers and landowners on soil salinity management and use of elemental sulphur in Oman

Al‐Mayahi,

Al‐Shibli,

Gibreel

et al. 2023

Soil Use and Management

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“…Figure 5 shows that only 2% of global desalinated water is used for agricultural purposes (adapted from Burn et al, 2015). Farmers in Al Batinah, and other coastal areas in Oman, are starting to use small-size desalination units to produce good-quality irrigation water for their farms (Al Jabri et al, 2015).…”

Section: World's Experience On Desalination For Agriculturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Oman as an example Al Jabri et al (2015) explored the use of desalination in the Al Batinah coast with the following indicators (i) cost of desalination unit, (ii) operation and maintenance costs (O&M), (iii) purpose of desalination, (iv) amounts and quality of desalinated and reject brines, (v) means of disposal of brines, and (vi) types of crops grown. Table 3 summarizes cost and energy requirements of the desalination units used in the coastal farms in Al Batinah.…”

Section: Extent Of Desalination For Agriculture In Gccmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of renewable energy for desalination in urban agriculture in the GCC countries: Possibilities and challenges

Al-Jabri

Ahmed

2018

Jour. Agri. & Mar. Scie.

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The current dependence of the GCC countries on fossil oil and gas is unwise in terms of economic and environmental sustainability. GCC countries must consider the use of renewable energy to cope with price fluctuations of oil and gas in the global market and to lower the emission of green house gases. The demand for food and water in the GCC countriesis increasing due to high growth rate of population. Given the weather conditions and available amounts of natural water resources, the demand on food and water cannot be met unless alternative sources of water are considered. Several studies pointed out that the desalination technology is probably the only option for producing ample amounts of water for food production in arid environments. This work explores the potential of use of desalination technology for producing irrigation water in GCC countries, with special emphasis on experience of the Sultanate of Oman compared with that of Spain. Desalination can always provide a tailored-quality irrigation water at any climatic conditions. The main challenge for considering desalination for agriculture is purely economic; where GCC countries could consider it only if intensive horticulture of high-value cash crops, such as vegetables and flowers in controlled environments, is considered. Disposal of brine water is also a challenge and must be done at an additional cost. Depending on the quality of desalinated water, several studies showed that solar-operated desalination technologies are in a mature stage and economically viable. Therefore, solar energy can make the desalination technology an attractive option to sustain agriculture and food supply in GCC countries.

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“…The above discussion clearly indicates that the availability of water, in terms of quantity and quality, is the limiting factor for development and sustainability of agriculture in AlBatinah coastal strip. In efforts of sustain their agricultural practices, many farmers are currently using small, reverse-osmosis (RO) based, desalination units for irrigation water [5]. Despite the associated constraints, many countries around the world are using the desalination technology for producing irrigation water; such as Spain, Australia, Chile, USA, Italy, and several countries in the Arabia Peninsula [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative analysis of economic and institutional aspects of desalination for agriculture in the Sultanate of Oman and Spain

Jabri¹,

Zekri

Zarzoc³

et al. 2019

DWT

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Water availability is the most critical component for sustaining agriculture in the Sultanate of Oman. Farmers along the coastal strip of AlBatinah region started using small desalination units to supply of good-quality irrigation water from brackish groundwater aquifers. We conducted a research project aiming to explore different aspects of the use of desalination technology for agriculture in the country. Economic and institutional constraints of desalination for agriculture in Oman were explored and compared with the leading experience of Spain. The study revealed that desalinated water in Oman is exclusively used to irrigate low-income field crops. Despite the energy subsidy in Oman, current agricultural practices and economic returns make the desalination technology an expensive option for providing irrigation water. Moreover, none of the farmers are following the regulations that outline the nature of use of small desalination units set by the Omani governmental agencies. On the contrary, there is no exclusive use of desalinated water for irrigation in Spain. Spanish farmers mix it with low-quality surface and ground water in efforts to reduce the cost of desalination. Farmers own the desalination plants and their agriculture is practiced within their organized societies to compete with local and international markets. The Spanish government has clear institutional framework that defines the use of desalination for agriculture. Given the current situation of agricultural desalination in Oman, we are suggesting considering alternative sources of water for irrigation. However, such sources will not be feasible unless agricultural practices are managed through more efficient practices of irrigation schemes.

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Prospects of desalination for irrigation water in the Sultanate of Oman

Cited by 7 publications

References 14 publications

Perceptions and attitudes of farmers and landowners on soil salinity management and use of elemental sulphur in Oman

Perceptions and attitudes of farmers and landowners on soil salinity management and use of elemental sulphur in Oman

Use of renewable energy for desalination in urban agriculture in the GCC countries: Possibilities and challenges

Comparative analysis of economic and institutional aspects of desalination for agriculture in the Sultanate of Oman and Spain

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