Water resources for agriculture - Water resources for agriculture - Agricultural Policies and Bioeconomy

Water resources for agriculture

Description

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The Center carries out technical-scientific support activities within the cooperation agreements signed with the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests (MASAF) for the implementation of European and national Programmes and Plans connected to the use of water resources in agriculture and irrigation infrastructures fundings.

Currently, activities are related with the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) - National Programme for Rural Development (NPRD) (Submeasure 4.3 - Support for investments in the infrastructure for the development, modernization and adaptation of agriculture and forestry sectors) and the National Development and Cohesion Fund (DCF) 2014-2020 - Operative Agriculture Plan - Sub-plan 2.

In addition, the Center develops analysis and provides support also in processing of policies on water resources and its impacts on agriculture:

• ex ante conditionality on water resources within the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD);

• integration and synergies between agricultural and environmental policies (in particular within the Water Framework Directive and Floods Directive) and other national and regional policies (state aid);

• analysis of the irrigation context and water scarcity phenomena, also through the quantification of specific indicators;

• irrigation reuse of treated wastewater;

• technical support on the CAP 2021-2027;

• identification and promotion of savings actions and the efficient use of the water resource for irrigation purposes at all levels, included the international scientific field.

The Center partecipates in numerous National Coordination Tables between agricultural and environmental policies related to water resources and has signed various agreements and conventions including, last but not least, the one with the River Basin District Authority of the Po River in order to guarantee technical and scientific support in applying of the Economic analysis within the update of the River Basin Management Plan, as required by the Water Framework Directive (DQA 2000/60/CE).

It is responsible for the management of:

• SIGRIAN (National Information System for Water Management in Agricolture), the reference database for the monitoring of water volumes for collective irrigation and the informative tool for Regions, Reclamation and Irrigation Consortia and the bodies dealing with water management for irrigation use;
• DANIA (National Database of Investment for irrigation and environment), decision support tool in planning and evaluating investment policies, aimed at reducing the risks in agriculture, both in relation to water scarcity and related to instability phenomena. DANIA contains the recognition of the interventions (planned and funded) implemented by the irrigation agencies, with a purely irrigation purpose or with an environmental character in defense of agricultural areas and their production potential.

The Center is also involved at international level on:

• TAIEX Program (Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument);

• Coordination table within PRIMA initiative (Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area) – research and innovation programmes focused on water resources, agricultural systems and agri-food supply chains;

• Italian Focal point of the FAO Global Framework on Water Scarcity (WASAG) aimed at studying actions on the theme of water scarcity;

• MASAF delegation within the Joint Working Party on Agriculture and the Environment (JWPAE) dell'OCSE.

Contact

Raffaella Zucaro