Improving the Environmental Sustainability of Irrigated Agricultural Production in Lebanon and Jordan
Both in Lebanon and Jordan the increase in the domestic and industrial water demands has led to a significant reduction of water available for irrigation purposes. This is a key issue for such countries in which agriculture accounts for 80% of the water use although it is not the sole problem: the aquifers are overexploited, the use of environmental-friendly irrigation methods is still limited and the water and soils are being polluted through inappropriate production methods with regard to fertilization and plant protection practices. Considering the need to strengthen policies at national and regional level, the ENSIAP project will implement a series of activities as a contribution to the reduction of the negative environmental impact of irrigated agriculture on natural resources and climate change. In particular, the project will use an approach on three levels: at on-farm level, through introduction of innovative and resource conserving agricultural practices including the use of renewable energy sources (RES) supported by training activities; at institutional level, through capacity building in best agricultural practices and support to institutional networking on a regional basis with special focus on use of RES in irrigated agriculture; at civil society level, through public awareness raising activities on water and environmental issues, including the appropriate use of RES.