Laboratory in Sustainability of Water Management
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
Sustainable water use is one of the most challenging topics worldwide due to the effects of climate change and to the impacts of human activities. Public and private stakeholders who are active in this field must develop new ways to improve the management of the water cycle "as a whole".
The objective of the course is to lead students to the understanding of the problems related to water planning and management in the field of agricultural and rural environments, at different spatial scales. In particular the course will deal with: i) fundamentals of hydrology; i) water sources for agriculture; ii) water requirements of crops and soil-plant-atmosphere relationships; iii) irrigation methods and practices; iv) irrigation water management at the farm and district scale.
The objective of the course is to lead students to the understanding of the problems related to water planning and management in the field of agricultural and rural environments, at different spatial scales. In particular the course will deal with: i) fundamentals of hydrology; i) water sources for agriculture; ii) water requirements of crops and soil-plant-atmosphere relationships; iii) irrigation methods and practices; iv) irrigation water management at the farm and district scale.
Expected learning outcomes
The students will acquire skills and tools to plan and manage the use of water resources for agriculture. On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
- describe the water cycle and its driving processes;
- apply the water-balance equation to various hydrological problems;
- analyze hydrological data and estimate crop needs in order to assess water resource management in an area;
- apply the best irrigation methods and practices in different environmental, economic and social conditions;
- develop a project on a case study, write a report on the results obtained, illustrate and discuss them.
- describe the water cycle and its driving processes;
- apply the water-balance equation to various hydrological problems;
- analyze hydrological data and estimate crop needs in order to assess water resource management in an area;
- apply the best irrigation methods and practices in different environmental, economic and social conditions;
- develop a project on a case study, write a report on the results obtained, illustrate and discuss them.
Lesson period: First semester
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
· Basic concepts in agricultural water resources management:
- Terminology and definitions (water use, water consumption, water efficiency, water productivity, etc)
- Water resources and climatic changes:
· Structural components of irrigation systems and management
- Sources of water for irrigation
- Water diversions and uptakes
- Conveyance and distribution networks
- Reservoirs and their regulation policies
- Diversion rules
· Irrigation methods and practices
- gravity methods (basin, border, furrow, etc)
- pressurised methods (sprinkler, micro-irrigation)
- irrigation scheduling principes
- illustration of case studies
· Soil-plant-atmosphere relationships and the water balance
- Soil hydrology and soil water balance
- Evapotranspiration: measurement methods and estimation models
- FAO 56 approach to computing crop water requirements
- Soil water balance calculations to support irrigation management and planning at different spatial scales;
· Planning and management of water resources, with particular reference to sustainable irrigation water use
- Why Plan, Why Manage? (too little water, too much water, too pollut water, too expensive, ect.)
- Planning and management aspects (technical, economical/financial, Institutional and Governance)
- Sustainable irrigation water use
· Overview of water resources legislation
- EU Water Framework Directive
- National legislation (Italy)
- Examples of legislation (other countries)
· Practicals, field trips and team work
- Implementation of soil water balance
- Field visit to irrigation experimental sites
- Terminology and definitions (water use, water consumption, water efficiency, water productivity, etc)
- Water resources and climatic changes:
· Structural components of irrigation systems and management
- Sources of water for irrigation
- Water diversions and uptakes
- Conveyance and distribution networks
- Reservoirs and their regulation policies
- Diversion rules
· Irrigation methods and practices
- gravity methods (basin, border, furrow, etc)
- pressurised methods (sprinkler, micro-irrigation)
- irrigation scheduling principes
- illustration of case studies
· Soil-plant-atmosphere relationships and the water balance
- Soil hydrology and soil water balance
- Evapotranspiration: measurement methods and estimation models
- FAO 56 approach to computing crop water requirements
- Soil water balance calculations to support irrigation management and planning at different spatial scales;
· Planning and management of water resources, with particular reference to sustainable irrigation water use
- Why Plan, Why Manage? (too little water, too much water, too pollut water, too expensive, ect.)
- Planning and management aspects (technical, economical/financial, Institutional and Governance)
- Sustainable irrigation water use
· Overview of water resources legislation
- EU Water Framework Directive
- National legislation (Italy)
- Examples of legislation (other countries)
· Practicals, field trips and team work
- Implementation of soil water balance
- Field visit to irrigation experimental sites
Teaching methods
Lectures, tutorials and seminars, practical sessions, field
Teaching Resources
Slides of the lectures..
Selected scientific papers delivered during the course.
Allen, R.G., Pereira, L.S., Raes, D., Smith, M., 1998. Crop evapotranspiration: guidelines for computing crop water requirements. FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper no. 56, Rome, Italy. www.fao.org/3/X0490E/x0490e00.htm
COM (2007) 414 final, 18.7.2007 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council, Addressing the challenge of water scarcity and droughts in the European Union.https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2007:0414:FIN:en:PDF
Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:5c835afb-2ec6-4577-bdf8-756d3d694eeb.0004.02/DOC_1&format=PDF
Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste-water treatment. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:31991L0271
Council Directive 91/676/EEC of 12 December 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:31991L0676
EEA, 2018, European waters: Assessment of status and pressures 2018, EEA Report, 7/2018, European Environment Agency.
EEA, Europe's groundwater — a key resource under pressure. EN PDF: TH-AM-22-003-EN-N - ISBN: 978-92-9480-459-4 - ISSN: 2467-3196 - Doi: 10.2800/50592
European Commission, Directorate-General for Environment, Frelih-Larsen, A., Koeijer, T., Ding, H.et al., Resource efficiency in practice - Closing mineral cycles: final report, Publications Office, 2016, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2779/710012
Psomas, A., Bariamis, G., Roy, S., Rouillard, J. and Stein, U., 2021, Comparative study on quantitative and chemical status of groundwater bodies: Study of the impacts of pressures on groundwater in Europe, Service Contract, 3415/B2020/EEA.58185, European Environment Agency.
Reichardt K., Timm L.C. (2010) Soil, Plant and Atmosphere Concepts, Processes and Applications, Springer. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-19322-5
Singh Vijay P., Qiong Su, 2022, Irrigation Engineering. Cambridge Univ. Press. https://minerva.unimi.it/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma991017571131906031&context=L&vid=39UMI_INST:VU1&lang=it&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=Everything&query=any,contains,Irrigation%20Engineering&pfilter=rtype,exact,boo…
Selected scientific papers delivered during the course.
Allen, R.G., Pereira, L.S., Raes, D., Smith, M., 1998. Crop evapotranspiration: guidelines for computing crop water requirements. FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper no. 56, Rome, Italy. www.fao.org/3/X0490E/x0490e00.htm
COM (2007) 414 final, 18.7.2007 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council, Addressing the challenge of water scarcity and droughts in the European Union.https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2007:0414:FIN:en:PDF
Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:5c835afb-2ec6-4577-bdf8-756d3d694eeb.0004.02/DOC_1&format=PDF
Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste-water treatment. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:31991L0271
Council Directive 91/676/EEC of 12 December 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:31991L0676
EEA, 2018, European waters: Assessment of status and pressures 2018, EEA Report, 7/2018, European Environment Agency.
EEA, Europe's groundwater — a key resource under pressure. EN PDF: TH-AM-22-003-EN-N - ISBN: 978-92-9480-459-4 - ISSN: 2467-3196 - Doi: 10.2800/50592
European Commission, Directorate-General for Environment, Frelih-Larsen, A., Koeijer, T., Ding, H.et al., Resource efficiency in practice - Closing mineral cycles: final report, Publications Office, 2016, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2779/710012
Psomas, A., Bariamis, G., Roy, S., Rouillard, J. and Stein, U., 2021, Comparative study on quantitative and chemical status of groundwater bodies: Study of the impacts of pressures on groundwater in Europe, Service Contract, 3415/B2020/EEA.58185, European Environment Agency.
Reichardt K., Timm L.C. (2010) Soil, Plant and Atmosphere Concepts, Processes and Applications, Springer. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-19322-5
Singh Vijay P., Qiong Su, 2022, Irrigation Engineering. Cambridge Univ. Press. https://minerva.unimi.it/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma991017571131906031&context=L&vid=39UMI_INST:VU1&lang=it&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=Everything&query=any,contains,Irrigation%20Engineering&pfilter=rtype,exact,boo…
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of an oral presentation and discussion of a report on topics covered in the course. The subject of the report is assigned during the course and must be preferably developed as a team work (small groups of maximum three students). The report must be written and delivered within the deadline for registering for the exam through the dedicated University Service. The final evaluation is determined as the average of the evaluation of the oral test and of the written report.
The following aspects will be assessed during the exam: acquired knowledge, level of understanding, reasoning and connection skills, communication skills using appropriate sector terminology, ability to organize a detailed and effective technical document.
Enrolment in the exam must be done through the dedicated University Service.
If not attending the exam once registered, please cancel the registration within the terms indicated (or in any case communicate it by email to the teacher). In case of unjustified absence, the teacher has the right to prevent registration for the next session.
For students with Specific Learning Disorders refer to the provisions of the Student Guide and the DSA Service of the University (https://www.unimi.it/it/servizi/servizi-disabili-e-dsa)
The following aspects will be assessed during the exam: acquired knowledge, level of understanding, reasoning and connection skills, communication skills using appropriate sector terminology, ability to organize a detailed and effective technical document.
Enrolment in the exam must be done through the dedicated University Service.
If not attending the exam once registered, please cancel the registration within the terms indicated (or in any case communicate it by email to the teacher). In case of unjustified absence, the teacher has the right to prevent registration for the next session.
For students with Specific Learning Disorders refer to the provisions of the Student Guide and the DSA Service of the University (https://www.unimi.it/it/servizi/servizi-disabili-e-dsa)
AGR/08 - AGRICULTURAL HYDRAULICS AND WATERSHED PROTECTION - University credits: 6
Practicals: 24 hours
Lessons: 36 hours
Lessons: 36 hours
Professors:
Gandolfi Claudio, Gharsallah Olfa
Shifts:
Professor(s)