How is water management optimised in agriculture and forestry?

Fields and forests can often be too wet, and at other times there may be a shortage of water. This problem is made worse by climate change, which brings along heavier rains and longer periods of drought. How can this problem be solved?

As water is highly important for agriculture and forestry, it is worth thinking about long and hard. How can excess water be drained from fields, and where can it be discharged? How can you prevent drainage water from carrying soil and nutrients away? Where can you find more water in times of drought? How does water management affect lakes and rivers, floods or biodiversity in the area in question?

The best solutions can be found by looking at water management at the level of an entire catchment or sub-catchment comprising fields, forests and other areas. Water flows along and is stored at various locations in the catchment. These natural water flows and reserves can be exploited – and modified if necessary – to everyone’s benefit. In other words, water is conveyed to areas where it is currently needed, or where it does the least harm.

For example, water can be retained in wetlands in the upper reaches of a catchment in spring. This will mitigate spring floods downstream of the wetlands and reduce the risk of soil erosion. Less silt builds up in drainage ditches and channels, and pollution in rivers and lakes is reduced. This helps preserve or revive wetlands, which gradually release water downstream to parts of the catchment that might otherwise suffer from drought during summer.

Catchment-level water management benefits landowners, as access to water and drainage in fields and forests can be optimised while promoting water protection and biodiversity. Water management also helps to reduce the climate impacts of agriculture and forestry.