Exploring Irrigation and Water Supply Technologies for Smallholder Farmers in the Mediterranean Region

Abstract

Water security is a hot topic all over the world, due to global warming, climate change, natural calamities such as droughts and floods, overuse of water, and other factors. Water issues have been scientifically investigated from several perspectives, namely institutional, economic, social, environmental, managerial, and technological. However, the technological aspects of irrigation and water supply for smallholder farmers in the Mediterranean region have not been adequately addressed. This paper explores irrigation and water supply technologies for smallholder farmers in the selected Mediterranean countries (Egypt, Malta, Morocco, and Portugal). The methods of analysis are literature review, fieldwork, and observation. The literature survey reveals that Mediterranean countries share many common features in terms of climate, water and land resources, and development issues. Nevertheless, the selected countries in the Mediterranean region (Egypt, Malta, Morocco, and Portugal) differ in terms of type of crops, water management regulations, labor force availability, financial sustainability, and economic approaches. These remarks signal the need for applying a specific approach in selecting a technology for irrigation and water supply according to the regional context. Additionally, the financial and economic perspectives of the three key technologies (i.e., SLECI, desalination technology, and engineering constructed wetlands) require further analysis.

A Benchmarking Study of Irrigation Advisory Platforms

“…We also take into account the characteristic diversity inside the same region. This approach was guided by research [24] indicating that although Mediterranean countries (such as Egypt, Malta, Morocco, and Portugal) share common features, in terms of climate, water and land resources, and development issues, there are distinct variations among crop types, water management regulations, labor force availability, financial sustainability, and economic approaches. These findings emphasize the importance of considering specific regional contexts when selecting technologies for irrigation and water supply, facilitating the assessment of ICTs as outlined in the objectives of the paper.…”

“…Considering that it is crucial to acknowledge that smartphone adoption may still be limited in certain areas due to factors like affordability, digital literacy, and network reliability, it is noteworthy that smartphone ownership among smallholder farmers in developing countries is increasing. This trend is supported by a research study indicating a rise in smartphone ownership, attributed to decreasing smartphone costs and expanding mobile network coverage [24]. The integration of the agricultural sector with the growing use of mobile phones catalyzed policy advancements concerning mobile phone utilization across a spectrum of agricultural services [25].…”