03/06/2010 1

Water Resource Availability,

Management and Use and

Potential Measures to Enhance Climate Resilience in the Sector

Достапност на Водните ресурси,

Управување и Користење,и

Потенцијални Мерки за Подобрување на Климатската Еластичност во Секторот

Jasminka Taseva Jankovic, Local Expert on Water Sector

Improving Climate Resilience in Macedonian Agricultural SystemsПодобрување на Климатската Еластичност во

Македонските Земјоделски Системи

Awareness-Raising and Consultation WorkshopПодигање на свеста и Консултативна Работилница

Јасминка Тасева Јанкович, Локален Експерт за Сектор Води

Reducing Vulnerability to Climate Variability and Change in Macedonian Agricultural Systems Намалување на Ранливоста на Климатската Разнообразности Промени во Македонските Земјоделски Системи

ContentСодржина

• Overview-Преглед

• Projected Water Resources Impacts-Предвидување на ефектите врз изворите на вода

• Brainstorming objectives-разгледување на активностите

• Summarize-сумирање

• Potential Measures-Потенцијални мерки

• Next steps-идни чекори

Overview

Management

• The sector-led one of the areas of legislation most

regulated Environment EU;

• In MK institutional weaknesses in water management-

from first to third level;

• Mixing of responsibilities of various institutions and

inconsistency in the laws;

• Water Act provides for integrated management of water

resources based on the four river basins;

• Law on Water Economy Enterprises provides Water

Economies be responsible for the operation and

management of hydro infrastructure, irrigation and for

flood protection, erosion control and soil quality of the

waters within the boundaries of irrigation systems;

• Water User Communities Act also gives responsibility

to the communities for some of the functions of water

management system in which they work;

• Implementation of the Law on Waters (in line with the

EU directive on lead) - is very ambitious, poses

significant challenges, and financial expenses and

efforts to MK.

• Water Framework Directive Directive is ambitious-all

leading to gain at least good status by 2015.

Availability of water resources

• Area under water 1.9% of the total area of MK;

• 98% of MK water courses lies on cross-border rivers;

• 2700km river basins and three major natural lakes;

• Primary basin-river Vardar, second basins: River Fever and Bregalnica;

• 16 large artificial reservoirs;

• 4468 registered source, 58 with a capacity exceeding 100 l / sec.;

• Groundwater accounted for 314.3 mil.m3/god.;

• Every resident in MK: - able to dispose of 3147 m3., - used 1475 m3.,

• 47% of potential.

Climate

• The climate makes irrigation essential input parameter for agriculture;

• Climate changes, increases in temperature and precipitation reductions, reductions in discharges to / from the rivers, increase the importance of water resources in irrigation;

• 75 % of the land classified as semi-dry region. MK is prone to droughts;

• The areas to the EU in 2070, the drought will be more rule than exception.

• Floods, city and other weather troubles are more common.

Use

• Degraded irrigation systems, one of the reasons farmers use water from underground reserves.

• Irrigation with groundwater head initiatives outside the existing irrigation systems.

• 200,000 rural households are served by 100,000 wells, bathe and 5000 ha of land.

• Irrigation with groundwater is not significantly impact on the sector (currently). With the growth of agriculture - more development of irrigation with groundwater for irrigation of high valuable crops.

• Opportunities to support investment in holesand wells for irrigation of areas outside the existing irrigation??

• Opportunities in good economic sense, but there are conditions for which management should be considered before the determination of such support.

• There are no significant competition between irrigation and other productive uses of water, but plans to build several hydroelectric river has the potential to alter this situation.

• Attention should be given to ensure compliance with the terms of licenses for water and minimum environmental flows.

• Agriculture is the main user of water, and in the interests of this sector is to restore / establish arrangements for transboundary watercourses.

• Wasteful use of water ranges from 20 to 40 percent of water resources.

Use

• Timely irrigation-necessity to produce competitive products with high value.

• Irrigation have significant effects on the incomes of farmers.

• Water for irrigation, provided mainly through irrigation. 164 000 ha, the total area with irrigation infrastructure, consisting of 144 systems (older than 25 y).

• 127,000 ha can be irrigated (32% of arable area). In 2004 23,500 ha were irrigated.

• The estimated area under crops irrigated is less than 10%.

• Degraded infrastructure for irrigation, poor implementation arrangements for water management and water use.

• Detailed piece of irrigation network does not correspond everywhere with current needs of cultures bathe;

• Detailed network is disrupted by poor maintenance and neglect of end users.

Overview

The quality of water resources

• The quality of water resources - from satisfactory to poor.

• Water resources (groundwater and surface water) relatively clean in the upper streams and mountainous areas.

• In the middle and lower streams of the rivers in the state accumulations depending From treatment of wastewater (in many places worse off than is provided in the regulations on classification of waters).

• Agricultural activities contribute to water pollution (such as surface and groundwater).

• To purify lake or river pollution (naturally) needs min. 10 to 15 years. (Applies to groundwater).

• Erosion of land use affect water resources (it is given little attention).

• 38% of the country is prone to high levels of soil erosion due to topographical features and heavy rainfall, but also from unsustainable agricultural practices.

• Erosion of soil results in large amounts of sediment accumulations in / lakes and facilities for irrigation and drainage (decrease the capacity of plants, damage to infrastructure).

Requirements / Changes

• There are great needs (52,000 ha) to rehabilitate and modernize the irrigation sector.

• Farmers will not support changes / reforms without reliable irrigation services.

• Need for preparation of a new master plan (1977) for planning and allocation of water resources.

• Need a strategy for formulating priorities, plans and calculations for large and / or small irrigation systems, others and / or new methods currently maitenance facilities and infrastructure, rehabilitation, modernization and / or abandonment!.

• Required adoption and implementation of appropriate provisions for the management, use and protection of groundwater resources, and strengthening the role of institutions.

• Takes seriously thinking about introducing educational programs for citizens of Prudent behaviour of water and adoption of revised prices for consumers..

Overview

Projected Water Resources Impacts• 2050, Bregalnica (16.1%) the most significant decline in water discharge: Treska less exposed to

changes in runoff and consequently water discharge (decline 3.4%).

• discharge rate for the Vardar river catchment -decline by 11.4% and 18.2% by 2050 and 2100.

• The significance of declining water availability.

• taking proactive water demand and supply adaptation measures is highlighted (MK is already an inherently dry country).

• These projected climate changes will result in a significant shift in water demand and increased competition for water across all sectors in the coming decades, including agriculture, (presently, agriculture constitutes approximately 40% of water demand and is the number one water consumer in the country.

• water demand in the sector has declined significantly, between the early 1990’s and 2004 the irrigated area declined by approximately 82%.

• This precipitous decline occurred as a result of both structural and non-structural changes that occurred post independence in 1991.

• demand for water in the irrigated sector will increase substantially, especially given the consequences of projected climate change on non-irrigated agricultural systems.

• demand will increase pressure on water availability, as the most vulnerable regions to climate change are also the same locations in which the major irrigation systems of the country are based.

• non-climatic factors like development pathways, economic growth, improvements in living standards, and changes in land use patterns, technologies and infrastructure could significantly change water demand for Macedonia in the future.

• non-climatic factors could dwarf the impacts attributed to climate change alone.

• how these non-climatic factors can be influenced, positively or negatively, by policies, legislation and management at the national level?

Brainstorming

Objectives• Climate change implications for water supply

and demand, especially concerning irrigation?

• What can be done to improve the management

of water resources to enhance climate

resilience?

• What measures have/should be implemented to

enhance water use efficiency at the

supply/distribution scale and at the farm scale?

• What practices could the average crop/livestock

farm implement immediately that would improve

climate resilience and productivity?

• Are current coping strategies suitable to

address future climate change projections? If

not, what other adaptation options will be

required?

• What are the barriers to adoption for

existing/future adaptation strategies?

• What are the critical adaptation investments

required for the cropping and livestock sectors

going forward?

• What are the policy challenges that limit the

ability to adapt to projected climate change?

• What weather information is freely available and

easily accessible for farmers?

Summary

• the availability of water is the key issue for farmers as a result of climate change.

• the importance of implementing policies that encourage the agricultural sector to adapt to climate change, both in terms of its physical aspects and its economic impact.

• water availability is one of the major consequences of climate change for the agriculture and water is an essential element for improving food safety, for increasing crop productivity and for promoting the economic development of rural areas.

• saving water will not be enough and that reusing waste water and using desalination when possible will be needed; there is a need to continue exploring new ways of obtaining these resources using as little energy as possible in order to reduce their cost and their environmental consequences.

• it is essential to involve the population and farmers in the fight against water shortage, where government have a key role in implementing policies that encourage water to be rationalised, saved and reused, and seek out new resources and make the necessary investments in irrigation systems.

• the intensity of various climate phenomena that cause major variations in harvests and impact on agricultural revenue, another consequence of climate change.

• one of the best policies for adapting to the consequences of climate change is having a strong risk management policy that protects farmers from sharp falls in income that can be caused by climate hazards.

• ‘Water Strategy’ should serve as tool for ecological, economic and social development. Strategy should establish the political, methodological and financial framework for the introduction of regional policies with regard to the sustainable management and protection of water resources. It must promote the use of scientific and technological innovations and guarantee that water reaches populations throughout the region at a time of demographic expansion and when the effects of climate change are being felt.

Potential Measures to Enhance

Climate Resilience in the Sector

• Irrigation

• Implementation of Vardar River watershed management

• Rehabilitation of existing irrigation and delivery schemes to

improve access and system water-use efficiency.

• Modernization of on-farm distribution systems.

• Introduction of new irrigation techniques and improvement

of existing techniques to enhance field level water use

efficiency.

Next Steps

Climate Science & Hydrology is Improving

• Valuable information on trends (> 100yrs)

• Climate projections by hydromets and global centers shows significant impacts by midcentury; severe by 2100

• Selected downscaling probably needed; national and targeted water basins

• Impact modelling needed

• Skills & infrastructure from outside

Actions Can be Taken Now

• “No-regrets” investments (e.g. more efficient irrigation; Hydrometstrengthening)

• Integrate climate certainty & uncertainty into water planning

• Start with some project design/feasibility

• Education/Training/Communication

• Raising Public Awareness

• Activities of Non-governmental Organizations

Need to Reach Decision-Makers

• Recognize competing demands and longer term nature of climate

• Communicate but not confuse…….range in certainty and uncertainties

• Build cross-sector linkages

• Express options in economic terms

• Regional and international partnerships

• New funding for climate adaptation

Further Activities will be Helpful

• Analytical work and pilot projects with support from UNDP, EU, GEF, UNECE, World Bank; bilaterals, etc.

• Sava, Drin and Adriatic – crucial pilot areas worthy of attention