“Dryland Farming” in Monegros, Spain
In 2010, Edward Burtynsky photographed agricultural areas in Spain including Monegros, a hilly,semi-desert area with extreme climatic conditions. Drawn by the organic expansion of farming areas created by successive divisions of land, Burtynsky became fascinated with the extraordinary level of visual complexity of Monegros he saw from a bird’s eye view. The resulting photographs here [...]
Cretan Village Reconnects with its Water
Villagers and farmers in north-eastern Crete are discovering new ways of saving water by linking traditional and modern water conservation methods and restoring ancient water cisterns that have served Cretan communities since the Bronze Age. Writer: Sheila Saia In the village of Karydi on the Greek island of Crete, an elderly farmer stops to chat [...]
Egypt’s Rooftop Revolution
As food prices rise and water resources dwindle, Egyptians are exploring innovative farming methods and transforming dusty rooftops into productive vegetable gardens. Writer: Hanan Solayman Moving between wooden tables, Nawal Ramadan tends to the crops in her rooftop garden in the el-Darb el-Ahmar neighborhood of central Cairo. She calls it her paradise. “It doesn’t matter [...]
The Fallacy of Irrigation Modernization
The introduction of modern irrigation systems may reduce water use, but it does not necessarily lead to higher agricultural productivity. Writer: Theib Oweis Many countries are keen to move away from traditional surface irrigation systems to more modern and efficient systems such as drip and sprinkler irrigation. Surface irrigation systems are less efficient in terms [...]
Addressing Agricultural Water Demand
Agricultural water demands in the Mediterranean are massive and could be reduced without diminishing the yields of diversified crops. This is an analysis of steps towards better water management around the Mediterranean.
Writer: Florence Pintus | International Office for Water (OIEau)
