Monitoring, evaluation and rationalization of water use for the agriculture sector in Libya
Libya is characterized by an absolute water scarcity with its annual per capita internal renewable water resources around 106 m3/capita/yr. The project monitoring, evaluation and rationalization of water use for the agriculture sector in Libya (OSRO/LIB/002/ITA) aims at supporting monitoring, evaluation, and rationalization of the agriculture use of water, and to enhance agricultural water management performance, particularly water consumption and productivity. As a result, a strategic plan for water resources management that reviews the water, food and energy needs will be formulated. Through the results of this project, an assessment of the water use for the agricultural sector will be undertaken to support monitoring, evaluation, and rationalization of this use of water, and to enhance agricultural water management performance, particularly water consumption and productivity. As a result, a strategic plan for water resources management that reviews the water, food and energy needs will be formulated. In addition, the project will characterize water management infrastructures conditions, with a particular focus on irrigation, crop and water productivity, using remote sensing (RS) technologies and field data information. The characterization of water management infrastructures will provide quantitative information to priorities their rehabilitation and consequently boosting agricultural development. The outcomes of this projects will help developing approach for scaling up the project at national level and identify of good practices and affordable technologies for the increase of water productivity at farm level. The piloting of the methodological approach takes place in the Fezzan region. It will be later scaled-out to the national level. The Geospatial Unit at Land and Water Division (NSL) provides support to strengthen national capacities to monitor water consumption and productivity through Remote Sensing and to adopt effective options for increasing water productivity in Fezzan region, as a pilot to be scaled up throughout the country.