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Book (stand-alone)Remote sensing determination of evapotranspiration
Algorithms, strengths, weaknesses, uncertainty and best fit-for-purpose
2023Also available in:
No results found.The Near East and North Africa (NENA) Region has long faced water scarcity due to natural causes. Still, factors like population growth, food security policies, and socioeconomic development have worsened the situation in recent decades. Climate change and the food insecurity resulting from the war in Ukraine have further strained the already limited water resources in the region.To address these challenges, countries in the NENA Region seek ways to allocate scarce water resources effectively. They aim to improve water accounting, monitor water usage in strategic hydrological systems, and enhance water productivity and efficiency to save and redistribute water. One crucial aspect to consider in these efforts is water consumption, particularly in irrigated agriculture, which utilizes over 85 percent of renewable freshwater resources while remaining vital to the sustainability of the food sector and farming systems.Given the significant spatial scales involved, satellite remote sensing technology has become a valuable tool in determining evapotranspiration–water consumption. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Regional Initiative on Water Scarcity for the Near East and North Africa (WSI) has gathered top experts in evapotranspiration determination through satellite remote sensing to guide water stakeholders in the region. This initiative has also expanded to other FAO regions through the inter-Regional Technical Platform on Water Scarcity (iRTP-WS).To facilitate knowledge sharing, a series of twenty-five webinars were organized, fostering dialogue between experts and water actors. Additionally, this publication summarizes the outcomes of the webinars and provides further analysis and insights on satellite remote sensing determination of evapotranspiration.The publication aims to update the knowledge and enhance the capacity of water professionals, raise awareness of the strengths and limitations of remote sensing models and databases for evapotranspiration, and clarify operational aspects such as spatial and temporal resolutions and accuracy. Ultimately, it serves as a valuable reference for water actors and professionals working towards sustainable water resource management. -
Book (stand-alone)Stakeholder mapping and needs assessment - Lebanon
Remote sensing for water productivity
2020Also available in:
No results found.Given the scarcity of land and water resources, global strategies to increase food production should focus efforts on increasing production per unit resources, i.e. the combined increase of production per unit land surface (yield expressed in kg/ha) and the increase of production per unit water used (water productivity expressed in kg/m³). The FAO portal to monitor WAter Productivity through Open access of Remotely sensed derived data (WaPOR) uses satellite information to compute and map key variables related to water and agriculture, such as evapotranspiration, biomass production and water productivity. The provision of near real time information through such open access data portal enables a range of service-providers to assist farmers attain more reliable yields and to improve their livelihoods; irrigation operators have access to new information to assess the performance of systems and to identify where to focus investments to modernize the irrigation schemes; and government agencies will be able to use the information to monitor and promote the efficient use of natural resources. This report presents the work undertaken to identify key stakeholders in the agriculture and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector and the capacity needs of farmers to improve water productivity in a sustainable manner, through two components; the first surveys the role and capacities of various stakeholders in the ICT and agriculture sector in Lebanon, and the second presents and analyzes the results of a survey into the capacity needs of farmers in relation to the use of ICT in agriculture in the Bekaa valley. -
Book (stand-alone)Unlocking the potential of protected agriculture in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council - Saving water and improving nutrition 2021
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No results found.The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a political and economic union of Arab states, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the Unites Arab Emirates. The GCC was formed in 1981 to strengthen the members’ economic, social and political ties by harmonizing regulations in various fields including economy, finance, trade and customs. The region extends over a territory of 2 673 108 km2 and is home to about 50 million people. The common denominators of the GCC countries are limited natural fertile land, scarce water resources and harsh climate. Depending on the country, the agriculture sector may use as much as 75 percent of the national available water resources. This has enormous environmental costs and significantly affects the sustainability of overall development in the Arabian Peninsula. According to Al-Rashed and Sherif (2000), the lack of renewable water resources is one of the critical constraints to sustainable development in the GCC countries. Rainfall in the Arabian Peninsula is scarce and infrequent. Over-exploitation of fossil groundwater resources, mostly to meet irrigation demands and create greenery lands, has already affected the productivity of aquifers, both quantitatively and qualitatively, despite the fact that much of the freshwater demand in the GCC countries is already covered using desalinated water. Reducing water consumption and increasing water efficiency are essential to enhancing agriculture and moving towards increased self-sufficiency with the production of high-quality, safe and diversified foods in the GCC countries. Exploiting the full potential of protected agriculture should save significant amounts of water, which can be used not only for agriculture but for other needs as well.
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