What problems does Irrigation and Water Productivity help solve?
- Which fields actually need additional irrigation?
- Where does water stress occur during the growing season?
- Where is irrigation water lost due to inefficient water use?
- Which crops and fields yield the highest water productivity?
- Which irrigation measures are most effective during prolonged droughts?
During this Blended Learning course, you’ll learn how to analyze these issues and support your findings using QGIS. You’ll combine satellite imagery, open geodata, and FAO WaPOR data to gain spatial insights into water productivity, evapotranspiration, biomass, and crop development. This will help you determine where every available liter of water yields the greatest return. You will then translate these analyses into evidence-based recommendations, appropriate measures, and effective irrigation strategies for agriculture, water distribution, sustainable water management, and climate adaptation.
The Theory Behind Irrigation and Water Productivity
A thorough analysis begins with an understanding of the relationship between water availability, crop growth, and agricultural production. You’ll learn how precipitation, irrigation, evaporation, transpiration, and soil moisture collectively determine a crop’s water balance.
You’ll also be introduced to concepts such as evapotranspiration, water stress, biomass, crop water requirements, and water productivity. By understanding these processes, you will be able to interpret analysis results from hydrological and agronomic perspectives, compare different irrigation, drought, and climate scenarios, and translate them into reliable recommendations for sustainable water use and optimal water distribution.
Working with FAO WaPOR and Satellite Data
A reliable analysis of irrigation and water productivity starts with the right data. That’s why you’ll work with open satellite data and data from FAO WaPOR: Water Productivity through Open-access of Remotely Sensed derived data, developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
WaPOR combines satellite observations with models and provides information on, among other things, evapotranspiration, biomass, precipitation, relative water deficits, and water productivity. You’ll learn how to combine this data with parcel boundaries, land use, soil data, and other open geodata to monitor agricultural areas throughout the growing season and assess the efficiency of water use.
Analyzing Irrigation and Water Productivity in QGIS
After covering the theoretical basics, you’ll get hands-on experience in QGIS. You’ll learn to process, visualize, and combine FAO WaPOR data with other spatial datasets to identify differences between parcels, crops, and time periods.
You’ll analyze where water stress occurs, how much water crops consume, and where the ratio of yield to water use is lagging. In addition, you’ll compare various irrigation, drought, and climate scenarios to determine where additional irrigation is needed and where water can be used more efficiently. The goal of the analysis is not only to highlight differences but also to support decision-making regarding water allocation, irrigation strategies, and sustainable water use.
From Analysis to Evidence-Based Irrigation Advice
During the Blended Learning program, you’ll work with realistic real-world examples and open datasets. You’ll step into the role of an advisor in the field of agriculture and water management and tackle issues similar to those faced by agricultural organizations, water managers, government agencies, and consulting firms. You’ll analyze the available data, compare different measures and scenarios, and justify which irrigation strategy best suits the situation.
You’ll work on assignments such as:
- A water manager has insufficient irrigation water. Determine which agricultural areas should be prioritized based on water stress, crop development, and water productivity.
- A water manager is investigating where irrigation water is used most efficiently and where savings are possible.
- Compare the evapotranspiration and biomass of different plots to explain differences in water productivity.
- Analyze how crop development changes over the course of the season under the influence of drought and irrigation.
- Evaluate various irrigation, drought, and climate scenarios and determine which strategy offers the best balance between water use and crop production.
- Develop a well-founded irrigation recommendation for a consulting firm, including maps showing water stress, priority plots, and promising measures.
Upon completion, you will have the practical skills to independently analyze irrigation needs, water stress, and water productivity. You will be able to translate satellite data and spatial analyses into concrete irrigation recommendations, appropriate measures, and evidence-based decision-making for agriculture, water distribution, and climate adaptation.
