Greater efficiency in the use of water for agriculture is the way
to achieve significant gains in water saving in China, a foreign
expert has reported after a detailed study of the country's
agricultural sector.
Dr Osman Aidi, chairman and managing director of Irrifrance, was
asked to examine the promotion and application of modern water
saving techniques and irrigation technology in company with Chinese
experts in agriculture, water conservancy and environmental
protection.
Dr Aidi, who brought with him electronic intelligent
agricultural water resource irrigation technology, was interviewed
by reporters from the www.cenews.com.cn at a seminar
on water saving irrigation technology and desertification control
held in Beijing.
According to him, of the world's total fresh water usage in
2000, 69 percent was used for agriculture, 21 percent for industry
and 10 percent for daily living.
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"Water saving hinges on reducing agricultural water consumption,"
he said. "If urban residents make water savings of 50 percent, that
still only means an overall saving of five percent. However, if
agricultural water consumption could be reduced by 50 percent, the
total saving would be 35 percent."
Statistics show that China's annual water consumption stands at
more than 600 billion cubic meters, of which 440 cubic meters are
used by agriculture. Of this latter amount, at least 350 billion
cubic meters are wasted, leaving vast room for improvement.
Doctor Aidi said that, by adopting modern advanced water saving
irrigation technology, one hectare of farmland only needs
7,000-10,000 cubic meters of water a year. However, most of China's
farmlands adopt the method of flood irrigation by which one hectare
farmland usually needs more than 20,000 or even 30,000 cubic meters
of water. "Flood irrigation not only results in the waste of water
resource, but also leeches pesticide and chemical fertilizer out of
the soil, resulting in polluted water," he added.
Electronic intelligent agricultural water resource irrigation
technology is a kind of advanced drip irrigation and spray
irrigation technology that can save 50-80 percent of water
consumption.
Irrifrance applied this technology in the deserts of Libya,
Israel and Syria and succeeded in cultivating wheat and creating
the miracle acclaimed as the "green circle in the deserts." As a
result, Dr Aidi was presented with the medal by the United Nations
Water Assessment Program and honored by the French government.
He said that electronic intelligent agricultural water resource
irrigation technology, starting from the fields of hydrology,
meteorology, agricultural botany, mechanical engineering, and
electronic information, has designed a series of accurate
irrigation systems that scientifically control the irrigation
method and water consumption volume. It can rationally adjust to
keep the loss and evaporation of water to a minimum. Meanwhile,
chemical fertilizer and pesticide dissolve in the water and infuse
the crops through drip and spray irrigation, not only slashing the
amount of chemical fertilizer and pesticide needed, but also
reducing environmental pollution.
(China.org.cn translated by Li Jingrong November 11, 2003)
