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

Abstract

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.

Extending Natural Limits to Address Water Scarcity? The Role of Non-Conventional Water Fluxes in Climate Change Adaptation Capacity: A Review

“…This price range contrasts with the average rates of different water sources for agricultural uses in the Segura River Basin, which are 0.02-0.09 €/m 3 for surface water; 0.05-0.1 €/m 3 for reclaimed water; 0.12 €/m 3 for Tajo-Segura transfer; 0.16-0.42 €/m 3 for groundwater; and 0.26-0.56 €/m 3 for desalinated brackish water [113], although this last water source shows high price fluctuations between plants [108,115]. Thus, the final cost of water is highly dependent on the proportion of each water source used in the water blending.…”

“…Similarly, in the case of agricultural uses, desalinated water demand has been linked to the availability of other water supply sources, so during drought periods its use has increased enormously [72]. Despite this, Spain is considered to be one of the world-leading countries in the use of desalinated water for irrigation [108]. Desalinated water consumption for irrigation uses started in the south-east of Spain in the mid-1990s, when after an intense drought period some irrigation communities invested in private desalination plants [109].…”

“…On the local scale, other desalinated water management actions have also been identified as being implemented by the irrigation communities or directly by the farmers. As with reclaimed water, the usual practice carried out by farmers to offset agronomic concerns and ensure the economic viability of the farms by reducing the final water price is the strategy of mixing different water sources [45,61,108,110,140]. Furthermore, most of the irrigation communities monitor water quality and soil content to control water conductivity and other agronomic issues, such as soil sodicity risk [44,113].…”

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

“…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). If farmers continue to inappropriately dispose of this brine, they will exacerbate the deterioration of soil and groundwater quality at a fast rate.…”

Why (Not) Desalination? Exploring Driving Factors from Irrigation Communities’ Perception in South-East Spain

“…Some of these handicaps have been identified in a recent study conducted by Ricart et al [67] in which energy cost and water price have been considered the most influencing factors in decision-making processes. Although in the last 30 years the amount of energy required for desalination has fallen precipitously, and taking into account the plant efficiency and energy price increases and fluctuation, energy costs account for between 25% and 50% of the total price of desalinated water [68]. In this scenario, some surveyed irrigators claim that it is necessary to improve technical performance to reduce energy consumption and promote the use of solar energy in desalination plants; 6. for most irrigation communities, below 0.30 €/m 3 all crops can be profitable.…”