Project description
Scope:
The DG Environment of the EU Commission has chosen the Pinios River basin as one of its flagship pilot projects to investigate the effects of measures against desertification. The i-adapt project was led by the National Technical University of Athens in collaboration with the National Agricultural Research Foundation and private companies. Although a number of aspects of this problem has been investigated for several years, i-adapt is the first fully integrated investigation of solutions, including both demand and supply management measures as well as up scaling of results of field experiments through modelling.
Description:
The project seeks to provide a specific, actionable plan for combating desertification based on emerging technologies piloted in parts of the basin and quantify the expected impact of this plan on the water balance and local economy.
Specific project objectives include:
- Engage stakeholders to identify major impacts of desertification in Pinios and existing applications of new technologies and techniques (agriculture).
- Identify and assess the effectiveness of all existing initiatives, pilots and experimental applications of new technologies.
- Pilot a number of technologies to reduce water demand by agriculture in selected locations.
- Develop a comprehensive model of the Pinios Basin able to simulate agriculture water use and act as a test bed for assessing the effects of new technologies.
- Identify a portfolio of suitable, cost-effective and environmentally sound options for combating desertification and model their impact.
- Develop decision support tools for investigating suitable measures at the farm level and cost-effective integrated schemes.
- Develop a clear plan of interventions that can be embedded in the next round of RBMP for the Pinios River Basin, to be produced by 2015.
- Identify and disseminate transferable lessons, technologies and methods.
Services: Research
Design Stage: Masterplan
Expertise: Geographical Information Systems, Hydrology, Water, Water Resources Management
Country: Greece
Region: Thessaly
Client: DG Environment - European Commission
Services provided:
- Hydrologic study of the Pinios River Basin
- Groundwater modeling of the Pinios River Basin
- Study on the estimation of irrigation network losses
- Feasibility study for the improvement of the existing irrigation networks in Thessaly
Services current status: Completed
Remarks:
Gkiokas,A., S. Michas and C. Makropoulos (2012), Investigation of irrigation network losses in Thessaly. Proc. of Protection and Restoration of the Environment XI conference, Thessaloniki 2012
www.iadapt.gr