Sustainability of European Irrigated Agriculture under Water Framework Directive and Agenda 2000

THE SUSTAINABILITY OF EUROPEAN IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE
Irrigated agriculture provides about 40% of the world’s food supply, but occupies only 17%
of the arable area of the planet (FAO, 1999). Some scenarios predict an increase in cereal
demand of around 40% for 2020, for which reason global pressures on water will increase all
over the world.
In the Mediterranean countries irrigation accounts for about for about 83% of total water
demand in Greece, 57% in Italy, 68% in Spain and 52% in Portugal. This is in marked
contrast to northern and Eastern European Countries where, on average, less than 10% of
water resources are used for irrigation. The volume of irrigation water applied depends on
climate, the crop being cultivated, the area being irrigated and the method of application.
Nationally the area under irrigation varies greatly in absolute terms and in terms of percentage
of total agricultural area, partially reflecting differences in climate. Thus irrigated land varies
from one or two percent in many Central and Northern European countries up to 38% in
Greece. With a total irrigated surface in the EU-15 of about 11.3 million hectares and total
agricultural water use around 73,000 million m 3 /year. European average water use for
irrigation is 6,500 m 3 /ha/year. Over the past few decades the trend in agricultural water use
has been tending to rise due to increasing irrigated area. Most recently, however, the rate of
growth of the irrigated area has been diminishing in several countries.
A unique feature of the Mediterranean is that water is a key limiting condition for sustainable
development, increased quality of life and peace. Recognizing the seriousness of the situation,
it is necessary to consider what appropriate solutions might be developed while we continue
to work on all factors likely to reduce pressure on water resources and avoid irreversible
damage.
Irrigation systems have been the basis for human settlement and development in Europe and
the Mediterranean since Rome ruled the world (the western part of Europe), and we can look
back on a long history of hydraulic works, technological improvements and institutional
frameworks for modifying natural water flows in rivers and underground sources, integrating
utilities that control water delivery in terms of time and location into the natural water regime.
The main result of this has been the creation of an impressive irrigation system during the last
2000 years. For the past 50 years, irrigation development has often featured in strategies for
rural development through improved agricultural production. More recently however, in the
context of changing priorities and concerns about the impact of intensive agriculture, the
emphasis has switched to sustainable solutions which balance economic, social and
environmental objectives.
Agriculture in the EU-15 is one of the three important water sectors of water use, besides
industry and urban use. In some member states agriculture is the leading human use of water
and rises to 80%. Agriculture thus influences the availability of water, while agricultural
activities can have a strong influence on water quality through the impact of diffuse pollution.
On the other hand, European water legislation is regulating the use of water and therefore is
relevant to agricultural activities
While irrigation is an ancient practice, the amount of agricultural land under irrigation has
increased enormously during the second half of the past century. In the European Union (EU-
15), the irrigated area grew from nearly 6.5 million ha in 1961 to 11.6 million ha in 1996 as a
whole, as a result of both public and private investment. However, this growing area will be
affected by Directive 2000/60/EC.
However, the contribution of irrigated agriculture to world food production and European
agriculture has been accompanied by significant environmental costs. In addition to being a
major water user, irrigated agriculture is also an important source of water-related
environmental problems. Reservoirs constructed to supply water to agriculture and other
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