“Fromclimateinforma/ontoclimate

servicesinwatersector”

JuanValerodePalmaManglanoGeneralSecretayofWaterUsersUnionofJucarRiver

WednesdayApril5th,2017

FundaciónADEIT(Valencia)

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Festival2017

“JUCARRIVER’SHISTORY”

ClimateChange�  Reductionofavailablewaterresources:droughts,etc.

� ∆Increaseofcropwaterneedrequirements.� The modernization of irrigation is essential tomaximizetheefficiencyofwateruse.

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∆

Irriga.onconcession.-

�  It’s calculated using the climatic data of a period oftime.Thereforeitisanaveragedemand.

� TheWater Law establishes the concession volumeasamaximum.

� Waterdemandcannotbemeetindryyears

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�  Thewater needed by a crop can come from rain (rain-fed crops) or fromirrigation(irrigatedcrops).

�  Thegoalofirrigationistocomplementthecropswaterneedsthatraindoesn’tmeet.UsuallysummersaredryintheSpanishMediterraneanregion,thereforeinordertomeettheirwaterneedsmostofcropshavetobeirrigated.Theneedfor irrigation in summer is very regular among years as this period ischaracterizedbyhightemperaturesandalmostnonexistentrainfall.

�  However, intherestoftheseasons,autumn,winterandspring,asubstantialamountofcropswaterrequirementsarenaturallysatisfiedwithrain.Fromaclimatological perspective the months between October are April varybetweenyears,bothintermsoftemperaturesandespeciallyrainfall

�  According to the data analyzed, water requirements from October to Aprilrepresentsapproximately30%oftheannualwaterrequirements.

�  Therefore, rainfall reduction directly supposes an increase of irrigationrequirements.

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�  Irrigation complements the amount of water needed by cropsnotsatisfiedbyrain.Consequently,inperiodsofrainfallscarcity,greaterwaterirrigationinputsarerequired.

�  The theoretical irrigation allocations required for a crop arecalculated using average statistical data, thus it should beconsidered as an average value. Therefore, in abnormally dryperiods with scarce rainfall, allocations are not sufficient tosatisfycropswaterrequirements.

�  Given that rainfall in our irrigated area usually satisfy a largeamountofcrops’winterwaterrequirements,inyearswithscarcerainfallirrigationrequirementsincreasesignificantly.

�  Thewinterperiod2013-14waswarmandextremelydry,havingonly the 30% of rainfalls compared to a regular year.Consequently,cropshavebeenirrigatedinordertosatisfymostoftheirwinterwaterrequirements.

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�  This chart illustrates the waterrequ i rements (ETc) o f astandard orange grove using aplantingpatterof5x4m.This isdatafromalloftheagroclimaticstationsinstalledbyIVIAintheU S U J i r r i g a t e d a r e a .Precipitation values (P) andirrigation needs have also beenincluded (Nec. Irrigation). Thedata used is the averagebetween September 2001 andSeptember 2013. For this chartthe winter period starts inOctober and ends in April andthe summer starts in May andfinishinSeptember.

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0,00

50,00

100,00

150,00

200,00

250,00

300,00

350,00

400,00

450,00

ETc P Nec.Riego

mm.O

fwater

Winterwaterdemandcomparation

2001-13and2013-14

2001-13

2013-14

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Demandahídricacítricos(m3/Ha)

Precipitaciónutil

Nec.riego

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Citricwaterdemand

UsefulrainfallIrrig.Needs

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Demandahídricacítricos(%)

Precipitaciónutil

Nec.riego

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Citricwaterdemand

UsefulrainfallIrrig.Needs

�  1984-86�  1994-96� 2004-06

� 2014-16�  Fewrainandlittleusebycrops.�  FromApril2013toDecember2014therewerenorainfallepisodes

above20l/m².�  2013-14thelowestrecordedrainfall.

DroughtsinJucarriver.-

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� Rainfallwas30%oftheaverage(122l/m²).� Cropswaterrequirementwas20%aboveaverage.�  Irrigation need was 40% higher than average(winteris50%).

� With this climatology and the hydrologicalsituationof2005or2006DISASTER

Hydrologicalyear.2013-14.-

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0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

DamwatervolumeinJucarriverbasin1stOctober(millionofm3)

Real

Estimado

ConsideringthattheARJwaterrequirements’wouldhavebeen214millionofm³/year.

WithARJmodernization.11

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

DamwatervolumeinJucarriverbasin1stOctober(millionofm3)

Real

Estimado

Withoutwatersavings178millionofm³/year(ConcessionandJucarRBMP).

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Conclussions.-

�  Themodernizationof Júcar’s traditional irrigation systemshas been the measure that has contributed the most tominimizethedroughteffectsinJúcar’sSystem.

�  The current drought would have been the worstremembered if ARJ modernization would not happened(waterresourcesscarcity+highdemand).

�  Finishing the modernization of the irrigation systems isvital to avoid future restrictions due to water reductionsfromclimatechange.

�  ItisalsoimperativetoavoidgeneratingnewwaterdemandsonJúcar’sIrrigationSystem.

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Infloodingirriga.onsystems.-�  Irrigationoperation

�  Irrigationisdonebyturns(shifts).�  The limited capacity of irrigation infrastructuresrequiresaminimumof15daystocompleteirrigationinallplots.

�  Inlongirrigationcanalsdoingaturncantake25days.

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UsemeteorologicalforecastsbyIrrigatorsCommuni.es..-

Infloodingirriga.onsystems.-

� Useofforescasts�  Verylimitedduetolackofguarantee.�  Inorder to takedecisions, itwouldbenecessary tobesure that both rainfall and enough water will beguaranteed.

�  Stopping an irrigation shift for a forecast andnotmetcan cause serious damage in crop production by anexcessofdelay in irrigationdue to the capacityof theirrigationnetwork.

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Indrippingirriga.onsystems.-

�  Irrigationoperation�  Insummer,dailywaterdoseofissatisfied.Inperiodsoflesserneed,waterisappliedforafewdays.

� Useofforescasts�  Theyallowtobepreparedbeforeweatherchangesbuttheeffectivechangeintheirrigationdoesnottakeplaceuntilweatherchangeisreallygiven.

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Conclussion.-�  Flooding irrigation systems could help to reducewater consumption, but certainty in the forecast isrequired,especiallyintheamountofrainfall.

�  Ifheavyrainsarepredictedwateringcanbecutafewdaysinadvance.

� Dripping irrigation systems help to be prepared tochanges in the water demand, but the influence inwaterconsumptionisnotveryimportant.

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THANKYOUVERYMUCHFORYOURATTENTION

JuanValerodePalmaManglano

GeneralSecretayofWaterUsersUnionofJucarRiver

jvdepalma@acequiarj.es

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