Research Agenda on Sustainability of Irrigated Agriculture

The materials presented in this paper are the result of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Advanced Research Workshop on “Sustainability of Irrigated Agriculture (Sustainability of Water Resources Utilization in Agriculture),” which was held in Vimeiro, Portugal between 21 and 26 March 1994. The workshop was cosponsored by the Science and Technology for Development (STD) program of the European Union, Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Mediterranéennes (CIHEAM) Centre Technique de Coopération Agricole et Rurale (CTA), Institut Francais de Recherche pour L'ingenierie de L'agriculture et de L'environnement (CEMAGREF) and Junta Nacional de Investigacao Cienifica e Tecnologica (JNICT). The purpose of that workshop was to provide in-depth discussion on irrigated agriculture among researchers and professionals of different disciplines coming from both developed and developing countries. The workshop objective was to integrate existing science and technology into improved irrigation system performance and agricultural water management, and to provide recommendations for future research directed toward sustainability of water use in agriculture. A total of 43 papers were presented and discussed under the following topics: sustainability of world irrigation systems; water management and water policies; sustainability of indigenous water and soil conservation systems; irrigation water management and scheduling; on-farm irrigation systems; irrigation scheme management; sustainability and environment concerns; and technological transfer. The research priorities presented in this paper evolved from group discussions and are based on a common understanding of the challenges that our generation faces to ensure sustainable agricultural development, both in developed and developing countries. The priorities were established by voting of the workshop participants.