 |
| Titel |
Can groundwater supply match irrigation water demand in Mediterranean environments? |
| VerfasserIn |
Adriana Bruggeman, Christos Zoumides |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2011
|
| Medientyp |
Artikel
|
| Sprache |
Englisch
|
| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 13 (2011) |
| Datensatznummer |
250049307
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Zusammenfassung |
| In many Mediterranean countries water demand outstrips natural, renewable water supply. In
the Republic of Cyprus average annual water demand has been estimated as 252 Mm3 per
year, with 60% (152 Mm3) for irrigation. Average annual precipitation over the area of the
country, for the hydrologic years 1970/71-2009/2010, was 466 mm. Groundwater resources
amount to approximately 180 mM3/yr (6.7% of the precipitation) and surface water
resources 190 Mm3/yr (7.1% of the precipitation). The country has more than 50
large dams and another 30 small dams and ponds, providing more than 300 million
m3 storage capacity. But the typical Mediterranean variability of the climate is
amplified in the surface water resources; annual inflows into the major dams have
ranged from as low as 12 Mm3 to as high as 168 Mm3 during the past 20 years.
This unstable supply has been balanced by uncontrolled groundwater exploitation
and 12 of the country’s 19 groundwater bodies have been affected by salt water
intrusion.
Land use data of the country’s 427 communities, climate data from 30 meteorological
stations and an additional 32 rain gauges were used to make a more detailed assessment of
the country’s green and blue water demand for crop production, for the period 1997-2008.
Temporary crops (cereals, forages, potatoes, vegetables and melons) covered 109.5 thousand
ha and permanent crops (olives, vines, nuts, citrus and other fruit trees) covered 40.8
thousand ha, during the 2003 agricultural census year. But changing socioeconomic
conditions and droughts are resulting in a slow decline in agricultural land. Irrigation water
demand for the 12 year period ranged between 195 and 250 Mm3/yr. Government irrigation
water supply from dams for this period ranged between 8 and 58 Mm3/yr, with an
additional 5-8 mM3/yr supplied from groundwater and some 5 Mm3/yr from treated
sewage water resources. Private groundwater pumping for irrigation was estimated to
range between 141 and 216 Mm3/yr. This paper analyses the uncertainties in these
numbers, considering variabilities and changes in climate, land use and soil properties. |
|
|
|
|
|
|