Current demographic trends and future growth projections, roughly 60% of the global population may suffer water scarcity by the year 2025. The water-use efficiency techniques used with conventional resources have been improved. However, water-scarce countries will have to rely more on the use of non-conventional water resources to partly alleviate water scarcity. Non-conventional water resources are either generated as a product of specialized processes such as desalination or need suitable pre-use treatment and/or appropriate soil–water–crop management strategies when used for irrigation. In water-scarce environments, such water resources can be obtained through the desalination of seawater and highly brackish groundwater, the harvesting of rainwater, and the use of marginal-quality water resources (drainage water) for irrigation.
http://www.medies.net/_uploaded_files/publications/alter_aqua_malta_activities.pdf
Scientific articles on the subject. Material presented in class is available for the students in the on-line repository Moodle (http://e-l.unifi.it).
Learning Objectives
Knowledge acquired: Acquisition of technical-practical concepts of non conventional water sources as water supply for irrigation. Competence acquired (at the end of the course): practical concepts of non conventional water sources as water supply for irrigation.
Skills acquired (at the end of the course):
concepts related to the use of non conventional water in irrigation.
Prerequisites
Courses to be used as requirements (required and/or recommended):
Courses required: nessuno
Courses recommended: nessuno
Teaching Methods
CFU: 6
Total hours of the course (including the time spent in attending lectures, seminars, private study, examinations, etc...): 150
Hours reserved to private study and other indivual formative activities: 102
Contact hours for: Lectures (hours): 48
Contact hours for: Laboratory (hours):
Contact hours for: Laboratory-field/practice (hours): 15
Seminars (hours): -
Stages: -
Intermediate examinations: -
Further information
Attendance is not obligatory, but strongly recommended. If you are not able to attend, please contact the course instructor to find alternatives.
Type of Assessment
Oral examination on the subjects of lectures.
Course program
Non-conventional water sources as complementary supply to be used in regions where renewable water resources are extremely scarce. Non conventional water resource classification (saline water, urban or industrial wastewater, rainwater harvesting) for irrigation. Assessing the suitability of non conventional water for irrigation. Appropriate strategies for irrigation practices and management: irrigation scheduling, irrigation interval, irrigation method, leaching management for salinity control, management of the multi-quality water resources. Long term effects on soil and crops.