2021 CliMATiOn

Water shortage due to climate change - consequences and approaches for agriculture

The third consecutive year of drought is having a devastating effect on agriculture and forestry. What does climate change mean for agriculture and the landscape? Dried out plants, streams without water and the cessation of shipping drastically highlight the need for action. Although the amount of rain cannot be influenced, the distribution, reduced runoff or adapted farming methods may be a solution that will also secure the long-term existence of agriculture. The Hammbach catchment area in Dorsten as a pilot region is located in the southern Münsterland, the Hammbach flows into the Lippe in Dorsten. The region receives its drinking water from the Holsterhausen and Üfter Mark well galleries. In addition to the town of Dorsten, small moors, wetlands and forest areas, the project area is home to many agricultural uses with different structures (such as maize, cereals, vegetables, fruit, livestock farming), both in production and in further processing. Many farms traditionally extract groundwater for irrigation and operational purposes. A funding project by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) completed in 2019 already came to the following conclusion: "The agricultural water requirement ... of an estimated 27 million m³/a in dry years is ... not recoverable in terms of water balance. Top priority must therefore be given to more efficient irrigation and adaptation of the crops grown." Reduce runoff, change management, stabilize use In the KlimaBeHageN project, scientists, economists, water management suppliers and agricultural interest groups will now work together until 2022 to find transferable solutions. The aim of the KlimaBeHageN project is, on the one hand, to achieve a balanced water balance with measurable attenuation of consumption peaks, particularly in dry periods; on the other hand, to ensure economic activities and affordable water prices in the future. Questions include What irrigation requirements does agriculture have in dry years and can more economical irrigation techniques be used? Are there crops that would be better suited to this situation and require less water? In addition, the question of how the future organization and financing of the water supply can take place is being investigated. Furthermore, ecological improvements are to be made.

Responsible : Michael Hesse

Project partners: Emschergenossenschaft and Lippeverband

Funding: German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU)