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 Recent trends towards developing a sustainable irrigated agriculture in the Bekaa valley of  Lebanon RECENT TRENDS TOWARDS DEVELOPING A SUSTAINABLE IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE IN THE BEKAA VALLEY OF LEBANON by F. Karam 1 and K. Karaa 2  1. Background An increasing population throughout the Middle East countries and a subsequent pressure for food are forcing people to crop land which is diverse and limited in nature, where the risks of environmental degradation through losses of soil and water are high, and where crop yields are unreliable. These countries are characterized by a semi-arid climate with unpredictable rainfall and current droughts. Large number of people living in the communal areas in this marginal environment depend mainly on rainfed cropping. Furthermore, rural communities have observed detrimental changes in hydrology over recent decades, groundwater levels have fallen, springs and wetlands areas have dried up, and rivers no longer flow in the dry season. The main causes are thought to be land degradation, changes in rainfall and interactions between these factors. Diminished vegetation cover and poor surface management of cultivated crops, combined with limited surface water supply, have led to reduced infiltration, increased runoff and soil erosion, and a decline in groundwater recharge. Water, when available is unconstrained and regular quantities may be used at the discretion of the farmer. A major problem arises when water is available, as in the case of arid lands, in too small supplies so that to make its cost of procurement relatively high. Forecasts of the impact of increased demands for water indicate that by 2025 most of the countries in the Middle East region will have only 32 to 66% 1  Agricultural Research Institute of Lebanon, Department of Irrigation and Agrometeorology, Tal Amara. 2  Litany River Authority, Department of Rural Development, Beirut, Lebanon. 59 CIHEAM - Options Mediterraneennes

Recent Irrigation Bekaa

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