Context

In the county of Istria in Croatia, water resources fluctuate greatly due to the geological structure of the area, and there is little opportunity to preserve supplies for dry summer periods when needs are greatest. Climate change is reducing the availability of natural water supplies, and without adequate infrastructure that includes safe access to water, it is difficult for agriculture to thrive.

Due to climate change, reductions in water use were introduced in the summers of 2021 and 2022 to overcome the water shortage until the first rainy periods, causing major upheaval to the economy, the environment and the local population.

Istria is the most tourist-friendly region in Croatia, and the population is turning towards this sector to the detriment of agriculture, as it provides relatively easier earnings and is less subject to the climate and periods of drought and water shortages.

With the growing impact of climate change and consequent abandonment of agriculture, especially among young people, irrigation systems are becoming ever more crucial to the future of sustainable agriculture.

Objectives

The main aim of the project was to help the area adapt to climate change and be more resilient during periods of drought, by means of environmental protection and the sustainable management of natural resources through the implementation of adequate agricultural infrastructure, to ensure stable and organised agricultural production.

Specifically, this involved the construction of a reservoir to be filled during the rainy winter months and used in the dry periods, and the replenishment of an underground aquifer through irrigation to preserve groundwater.

On a subsequent level, the goal was the retention of the population in rural areas via job creation, the diversification of the economy, and creating the conditions for growth and development in a region affected by climate change.

Activities

The project documentation was some ten years in preparation, and had to take into account the needs of the future end-users, construction financing and documents, environmental permits, changes in legal legislation and even Croatia's entry into the European Union.

In June 2016, a project application was submitted under the Rural Development Programme of the Republic of Croatia, and by the end of that year, 89 initial end-users had signed preliminary agreements on the use of the system. Financing was finalised in mid-2017, contractors brought on board in March 2019, and the construction work itself was finally carried out between April 2019 and April 2022.

Amazingly, considering the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing border closures and material supply bottleneck, the irrigation system was implemented on schedule, thanks in no small part to exceptional organisation, awareness of critical issues and risk management, and timely, results-focused actions by the entire project team in conjunction with the contractors and service providers. Coordination was also required with the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy, Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Croatian Waters, Istria County, City of Poreč and Municipality of Tar-Vabriga for three full years along a 22-kilometre section of pipeline covering an area of five million m2.

In June 2022, a technical inspection concluded that the system was ready for use. A water management permit was obtained at the start of the following year, and by August, the Istrian water supply company had agreed to take over responsibility. The system became operational in 2024.

The project ensured a significant dissemination of knowledge, with scientific research on irrigation carried out and the results shared both with farmers and students, via visits and presentations of the project and its results at universities and conferences. Representatives of the Bavarian government in Germany also visited the county and were shown how the irrigation system is an example of good practice. Furthermore, there was significant coverage in the media throughout the implementation of the project.

It has also been part of Istria county’s transition to green energy, with preparation underway to install floating solar panels on the water surface of the reservoir to produce electricity from renewable sources. End-users have also invested a total of EUR 9 million in EU funds into the implementation of micro-irrigation systems on their land, through which they will connect to the public irrigation system of Červar Porat-Bašarinka.

Gender equality

Two women were appointed to the project implementation team: the Assistant Project Manager (appointed by Croatian Waters), who was the main operational person in charge of launching and implementing the project, and the financial expert.

Once the project had been implemented, around 50% of the areas which were available for irrigation were owned by women, while, in the first year of use, more than 90% of the areas on which irrigation is actually used are owned or leased either by economic entities headed by women, or by female individuals.

Generational Renewal

On a practical level, both the assistant project manager and the main construction site manager were under 40 years of age, the former also being from Istria County. A third person in that age bracket is now operationally responsible for the system’s use by the county.

In terms of the project’s goals, implementation of the system meant that young people and families were able to stay locally and work in agriculture (as opposed to being lost to tourism).

Looking further ahead, students from the Faculty of Civil Engineers in Rijeka, students and young professionals from the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb, the Institute for Agriculture and Tourism in Poreč and the Agricultural department of Rijeka University (Poreč) were introduced to the system, based on their interest in joining this and similar projects after completing their studies. The research conducted at the site is incorporated into teaching material for under- and postgraduate studies at the University of Zagreb`s Faculty of Agriculture, in courses on Irrigation, Irrigation Strategies and Techniques for Climate Resilient Agriculture, and Irrigation System Programming and Design. Lectures were held at the Faculty of Civil Engineering.

The Červar Porat site also hosts doctoral research on modern methods for monitoring water stress, as well as studies on the effects of irrigation on the quality of end products, such as wine and olive oil, thus ensuring interdisciplinary university education based on concrete research and real agro-ecological conditions.

The transfer of knowledge to the students is an ongoing activity impacting a few hundred students in different fields. The new course at the University of Zagreb will have a long-lasting impact on future generations of students, long after the end of the project.

Main Results

The primary achievement was that agricultural production could be ensured in this part of Istria in spite of climate change and the lack of available water in summer. Drought days due to the impact of climate change on agriculture and the environment have been reduced from three or four to zero, while the agricultural areas under irrigation have been increased.

This had led to an increase in yields of around 10% in the first year, as well as in the number of farmers working in the area. The City of Poreč is an increasingly successful tourist destination, but, thanks to this project, fewer people are now buying agricultural land for the purposes of urbanising and selling it on.

Around 500 000 m3 of water is needed for agricultural purposes in the area. This project provides 865 000 m3, reducing the cost of water for irrigation, increasing the amount of groundwater in the wider area and lowering the number of legal and illegal wells, and thus the potential over-pumping of the underground aquifer, preventing saltwater intrusion.

The project was fully inclusive of women and young people and has contributed to retaining population in this rural area, especially young people, whilst diversifying the economy, creating new jobs and growing the economic resilience of the sector. It is expected to help fight climate change and participate in the green transition via the future installation of floating solar panels. The innovation that came with the project has generated new investments and knowledge transfer.

A positive trend has clearly been established, and the full picture of the improvements brought about by the project is expected to become clear in three to five years after the implementation of the new system.

Key lessons

As part of the project implementation, high-quality, timely, effective and efficient management and maintenance of the Červar Porat-Bašarinka Public Irrigation System was key, and this was ensured by contracting the implementation of these tasks to one of Croatia’s most successful water service providers. The Istrian water supply company is also responsible for connecting users to the system and conducts regular visits and interventions.

The project also targeted people in the region who were considering whether to stay or come to the countryside and engage in agriculture and establish families in the countryside, as well as students, who have now learned organised irrigation. Aiming a project at targeted demographics is incredibly important, both to the overall success and the transfer of knowledge.