European Fundend Projects

  • ID:
    projects-532
  • fiwar:
    No data
  • Project_Acronym:
    MED-WET
  • Project_Name:
    Improving MEDiterranean irrigation and Water supply for smallholder farmers by providing Efficient, low-cost and nature-based Technologies and practices
  • Funding Authority:
    PRIMA
  • Call for proposals:
    PRIMA-2020
  • Focus Area:
    Water Management
  • Begin Date:
    2021-11-01
  • End Date:
    2024-10-31
  • Status:
    Completed
  • Budget:
    € 000 601 063.00
  • Description:
    Mediterranean regions already face significant water scarcity. High tourist activities during the summer months additionally stress the limited water reserves, at a disadvantage for agriculture. Population growth, changing food consumption patterns and climate change are expected to intensify stresses. This calls for more efficient and sustainable irrigation technologies that are widely applicable for smallholder farmers. They must be low-cost, lean solutions that optimise natural resource use and income even at small scales. MED-WET provides such solutions to enhance irrigation efficiency as well as to increase freshwater availability by tapping into non-conventional water sources. Our selected solutions are low-tech, low-energy, easy-to-operate solutions using cheap, locally available and natural materials geared towards financial feasibility. We develop these in an iterative process with active involvement of smallholder farmers in piloting and adaptation to their specific operational requirements. Engagement activities are also geared towards capacity building of farmers to promote the adoption of project-developed solutions. We take a community perspective to integrated water management, identifying potentials for clusters/partnerships of farmers and potentially other stakeholders for shared investment and operation of technologies to produce irrigation water from non-conventional sources (rainwater, brackish water, household and farm wastewater). Relevant local decision-makers from project pilot areas are involved to tackle institutional barriers to adoption of proposed technologies. MED-WET develops new irrigation and water harvesting technologies specifically for smallholder farmers as well as to educate them and other stakeholders on water efficiency options in addition to those sole solutions. The action also improves the situation for women, who are the most involved population in small-scale agricultural activities in the Southern Mediterranean countries, through engaging with them in empowering and educating workshops.
  • Resource:
    https://mel.cgiar.org/projects/med-wet
  • Inland water types:
    Urban water', 'Wetlands', 'Groundwater'