Restoration and Sustainable Management of Irrigation and Drainage Systems and their use as a Tool for Adapting of Bulgarian Agriculture to Climate Change in the Region

Plamen Petkov, Krassimir Dandov, Nevyana Teneva

Abstract: One of the main environmental, social and economic point of view, facing agricultural production to Bulgaria now days and which will stand in front of it with even greater seriousness in the coming years are climate changes in the region. They are one of the main causes of yield variability and the risks inherent in agriculture. In the long run they will influence the technology of cultivation of several agricultural crops. The role of irrigation and drainage is well known as indisputable and proven by many years of research and practical application in various areas of Bulgaria (irrigation crops, drainage of saturated soils, protection agricultural land from flooding) as well as for status and development of Bulgarian agriculture and economy in order to receive a stable crop production at sharply limiting adverse effects of climatic factors in different periods in years. Taking into account the nature and objectives of irrigation and all activities involved in their development and related engineering facilities can be used as an effective tools to limit or prevent the effects of climate change, as – stress effects of drought, water shortages and scarcity plants on the one hand and on the other – to overcome the harmful effects of water on agricultural land and rural areas with other extreme weather events – floods, destroying banks of watercourses, waterlogging of agricultural soils and others. There was not enough attention to the irrigation and drainage issues in our country over the last two decade because of which this topic was in crisis that continues now days. For this period past governments could not find real active organization and financial instruments for the sustainable management maintenance and active use of existing infrastructure. Reducing irrigation areas continues as a result of a number of objective and subjective reasons and there are the physical and moral depreciation of the entire infrastructure now. Successful implementation of irrigation possibilities requires development and use of adequate and innovative policy and real program for restoration and restructuring of all its directions and its actual conversion into main priorities of the government policy in the field of agriculture and water management. The report comments on current issues in the state of irrigation and drainage systems in Bulgaria, makes analysis of the pros and cons of the proposed by World Bank a Common Strategy for the irrigation development and protection from harmful impact of water and performs individual issues better connected to the current state and the needs of Bulgarian agricultural solutions in order to enhance its adaptation to the adverse effects of climate changes.

Keywords: climate change; drainage; innovative approaches; irrigation; strategy

Date published: 2018-01-31