Europe is spending billions on modernizing irrigation, and running dry anyway.
Drip technology is spreading fast across Southern Europe, yet water stress is worsening. Why? Because funding flows without meters, basin-level limits, or enforcement. Efficiency gains at the farm are erased by crop expansion at the basin, following the mechanisms that offer three specific CAP reforms to fix them.
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Par Maureen Membis, Master at University of Debrecen, Hungary.
At Kenya's Ahero Irrigation Scheme, low irrigation efficiency increases nutrient and sediment runoff into the Lake Victoria . This raises risks of eutrophication in the lake. To enhance water management, the adoption of intermittent flooding and lining canals are practices taken into consideration. Water losses, protection of downstream water quality, and support for sustainable agriculture across the basin are some of the benefits gotten from these practices. Further several options related to the use of pressurized irrigation are explored in regards to their water use efficiency.
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Par Morphine Mapesa Odero, Matser at Debrecen University, Hungary
A French manufacturer of technical PVC pipes since 1957, TRICOFLEX (EXEL Industries Group, €38.2 million in revenue, 174 employees) is accelerating the transformation of its manufacturing infrastructure with a roadmap through 2030 centered on three key priorities: resource management and material competitiveness, industrial performance through AI and automation, and
disruptive innovation.
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Par Tricoflex
Although the directive does not directly regulate irrigation technologies or impose environmental performance requirements on irrigation equipment, it does affect the sector in terms of marketing, communication, and environmental claims made to consumers. Manufacturers and distributors of irrigation equipment will need to ensure that all environmental claims are accurate, substantiated, and specific.
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Par Justine Marrot, Alienor
As climate change and droughts become increasingly pressing realities, water management has become a critical issue for farms. Farmers face unprecedented challenges, including dwindling water resources and increasing irrigation needs. Yet much of the rainwater that falls on farms is lost through runoff or evaporation. Recovering this precious resource helps strengthen the self-sufficiency and resilience of agricultural systems.
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Par Fleur Martin, Irrigazette
A Call for evidence in the Water sector accelerating digitalisation for better management and sustainability has been lauched by the European commission.
This digital action plan for the water sector, which is included in the Commission Work Programme for 2026, is one of the flagship initiatives under the European Water Resilience Strategy. It is foreseen for publication in Q4 2026.
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Par Justine Marrot, Alienor
