Managing water for agriculture in UK and other EU statesMelvyn Kay

Exec Secretary

UK Irrigation Association

Common ground?

Supplementary irrigation

UK irrigated area

– 150,000 ha

Surface water and

groundwater

Increasing demand for

water across all sectors

Growing concerns over water scarcity

Need to improve water

governance

In UK – Irrigation

People generally have little appreciation of the water required to produce our food

The surface water story

In 1963…Water Act

Increasing water demands in all sectors

Concerns about WFD & droughts

Abstraction licence reform

The ground-water story

Impact on river flows

WFD and abstraction

The farmers’ story

• Water shortages

• Pressure from other water users

• Water industry & Env lobby well organised

• Irrigated agriculture - fragmented

• Irrigation – low priority?

• No coherent voice

• Pressures from all sides

We asked farmers…

• Face these problems alone?

• Or work together?

• It was a drought brought answers

• This was the beginning of Water Abstractor Groups (WAGs)

WAGs – starting up

• A dependence on irrigation

• Threat to livelihoods

• Small group of key individuals

• People who take a medium/long term view

• A strong desire to increase influence

Sustaining WAGs…

• A strong common interest

• Developing knowledge

• Value for money

• Autonomy to devise rules, resolve conflicts

• Openness and cooperation

Finding WAG ‘hotspots’Water availability Licenced abstractors ‘Hotspots’

The drainage story

Association of Drainage Authorities

112 Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs)

Main purpose: water level management

1.2 million hectares

Protects 85% of Grade 1 land

Principle:

He who benefits - pays

He who pays gets a say

The cooperation story

Water Resources East (WRE) a multi-company, multi-sector long-term water resource strategy for eastern England

Connecting drainage with irrigation

UK Irrigation Association

• Farmers tired of poor government extension service

• They wanted something better

• Lead farmers formed UKIA – and still run it• It is not a trade association

• Independent of government

• Provides advice to farmers

• Advocate wise use of water for agriculture

• Is now a strong voice for irrigation in water resources debate

www.ukia.org

Thank you

Quote from a farmer and WAG member…[on managing water resources]…’in my view the last person to manage water should be those up there. It should be those on the ground who manage it – those who wish to should be allowed to do it’