FARMER'S VIEW OF WATER RETENTION

GAÁL MÁRTA – TORNAY ENIKŐ – GERENCSÉR ILONA

Keywords: Keywords: drought management, sustainability, land use, attitude, cooperation JEL codes: Q01, Q15, Q25

Teljes cikk
The expected increase in the frequency and duration of droughts has made water retention, water conservation and soil moisture management essential for farmers. The CAP Strategic Plan also encourages the retention of water in the landscape for as long as possible through land use change, wetland creation and the development of small-scale water retention facilities. Before launching the call for proposals, the aim was to assess the potential target areas and the needs, knowledge and willingness of the farmers affected. The survey, which reached over 10,000 farmers, showed that 80.7% of respondents considered it important to retain water in the landscape or on agricultural land, and 20.1% would also be willing to develop areas for controlled water inputs and outputs. Half of the target areas were between 1 and 5 hectares in size, and almost equal proportions would implement either permanent or temporary water retention. However, in larger, multi-farmer areas, respondents often have different ideas about the type and duration of water retention and land use change. The results suggest that awareness-raising among farmers is needed to ensure the success of water retention proposals. This is the purpose of the five pilot areas selected based on the results of the questionnaire survey and the technical and water resource potential. In these pilot areas, workshops have been organised to inform landowners and land users about local opportunities, and technical planning documents prepared by water experts support farmers' cooperation and investment planning.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.53079/GAZDALKODAS.69.6.t.pp_469-483