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.
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.
MED-WET has established a consortium of partners with the competence, commitment and vision to meet the requirements of this call. The consortium is composed of 5 universities, 1 non-profit RTO, and 2 public entities from 3 European and 2 North African countries, composed of experts in the agricultural sciences, engineering, environmental sciences, business & entrepreneurship, and policy.
Partners
This project has received funding form the European Union