Analyzing the resilience of complex irrigation systems: the ERASMUS approach

Irrigated agriculture is a central socio-economic sector in many countries, particularly in the Mediterranean area, but often associated with relevant environmental issues, such as the high demand for natural resources (water, soil, energy). Irrigated agriculture is also increasingly threatened by multiple stresses, which include the rising demand for food, the lack of resources (as a consequence e.g., of climate change) and the conflicting needs and uses of those resources.

The recent scientific literature highlighted the need to support understanding and operationalizing the concept of resilience for irrigated agroecosystems, i.e. the capability of such systems to absorb stresses and adapt to changing conditions. The present work, developed within the ERASMUS project (within the PRIN 2022 call, funded by the European Union, Next Generation EU), mainly focuses on the role of water resources management in irrigated areas, yet considering a ‘Nexus’ approach that highlights the interconnections and interdependencies among resources. The aim is to identify management practices and technological measures that may support irrigated agriculture in the face of a multiplicity of environmental and anthropogenic stresses, ultimately suggesting sustainable development pathways for areas under stress. Particular attention is given to the rational use of water resources and to the role that can be played by the introduction of cutting-edge technologies and network modernization processes to increase the resilience, the long-term sustainability and the performance (in terms of distribution equality and efficiency) of pressurized irrigation systems.

Two main modelling approaches are the backbone of the ERASMUS approach. On the one hand, System Dynamics Modelling tools are used to describe the complexity of irrigated agroecosystems, the interdependencies among sectors (water, energy, land, food, climate) and to characterize their resilience. The main objective is to effectively describe (using also innovative sets of indicators) the system state and potential evolution as an effect of the different modernization strategies of networks along with different models/strategies for better managing water resources. Second, numerical modelling approaches are used to test the potential of innovative devices (mainly smart valves) and management criteria to improve the performance of irrigation networks, ultimately increasing the resilience of the system as a whole. Specific attention will be given to new technological solutions that may guarantee multiple joint benefits, ranging from a reduction of resource consumption (water, energy), while providing an increasing control and management of networks. Such an ambitious objective is being put into practice in two pilot sites located in Southern Italy (i.e., two irrigation consortia located in Puglia and Campania) where two Communities of Innovation are being developed and will support modelling activities throughout the project duration.