Irrigation has to be efficient

Water is the stuff of life: It is a natural resource that must be cherished, savoured and preserved. So any effort that conserves and reuses this precious resource is an initiative that is to be embraced and developed further.

Given the high energy costs required to desalinate water from the Gulf, any reduction in water use also helps to reduce our carbon footprint.

In Abu Dhabi, currently some 60 per cent of water used by farms in the Seih Al Kheir area goes to waste. Poor irrigation methods, leaky pipes and a lack of effective techniques are to blame for this significant water loss. Clearly, this level of waste cannot continue.

Under a joint initiative between the Abu Dhabi Farmers' Services Centre and the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, a new model for irrigation farms is being developed that will result in 40 per cent less water being used. In total, eight model irrigation farms will be set up in the coming months.

By simply altering the time at which plants or trees are watered, wastage can be reduced.

Abu Dhabi Farmers' Services Centre and the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority deserve full credit for these worthy initiatives.