Regional cooperation between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, also known as the Southern Caucasus, is steeped in historical territorial disputes and warfare that have resulted in ethnic cleansings by opposing heterogeneous groups.
Despite ethnic and religious clashes, agricultural production is a common denominator in a region split by other irreconcilable differences. Agricultural production is a major source of income for farmers in the South Caucasus. Easing competition for water supply and crop production is a fundamental way of securing peace between the countries.
The NATO Science for Peace and Security Program (SPS) launched an initiative to manage water use in agro-systems in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. This project is implemented by the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) , under which NATO coordinates its environmental security activities with five other international organizations.
Gerrit Hoogenboom, Professor of Agrometerology and Project Director of the SPS project in the South Caucasus told WaterWideWeb, “Water resource management is a politically hot issue that you need to negotiate. Right now, there are very strong ethnic differences between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.”
Consequently, lack of regional cooperation and historical disagreements are contributing to soi degradation and high salinity in the local water supply. If the environment that supports agricultural production continues to erode, there is a potential for future unrest as agricultural production is compromised by mismanagement of natural resources.
“Water is thought of as an unlimited resource by local farmers. There is an extremely high amount of water use and water is being wasted,” continued Hoogenboom.
Flood irrigation is still the main method for watering crops in the South Caucasus. Hoogenboom’s team is implementing a series of technological advancements that will reduce water use, improve crop production, and prevent even more negative environmental impacts on the region’s agricultural sector.
The first step in promoting sustainable use of water supplies in this region is to educate farmers on their specific water needs for a given crop. Establishing a system that provides farmers with information about their water needs based on scientific data contributes to a collaborative effort to conserve natural resources by end users at the local level.
Hoogenboom’s team introduced an automated weather station to calculate farmers’ water needs based on daily meteorological data. Farmers are then provided information such as the evaporative demand, enabling them to schedule irrigation in appropriate quantities.
Introducing new technological methods of measuring the amount of water needed for crop irrigation can reduce competition for scarce resources, while simultaneously improving the socio-economic structure that exists in the region.
The team also implemented a drip irrigation system in place of flood irrigation. The former was proven effective in Israel, another area that requires a best-practices approach to water resource management.
Drip irrigation on high value vegetable crops in the South Caucasus can significantly increase a farmer’s ability to demand a higher price for his agricultural output. Hoogenboom’s team also replaced seeds used by local farmers with a higher quality seed.
Improving the process of agricultural cultivation has immediate positive effects on environmental sustainability, economic development, and provides a potential for regional cooperation between the South Caucasus countries.
“In terms of sustainability, you have a multi-pronged effect. With respect to economic development, you increase the income of local farmers, making them more secure. There’s sustainability of soil systems, salinity reduction, and decreased soil degradation,” noted Hoogenboom.
Technology transfer and capacity building do not discriminate against any specific groups race or ethnic origin. Working toward a sustainable development agenda and enhancing the quality of life for individuals who are otherwise divided by political differences have very tangible effects on regional cooperation.
“There is competition for water in the region. You can only use the water once and then it’s gone. Better water management means more water is available for people to share at the end,” concluded Hoogenboom.
Please watch the NATO Video “Fruits of Peace”, which details this endeavor or more depth, here
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