Drainage in Agriculture: Water and Salt levels in Soil

The demand for safe and healthy food is rapidly increasing. The world population is growing and is projected to reach 9.8 billion in 2050. This course asks how to prepare for this, and how to feed all these people? It is clear that the food production mainly has to come from improvements in agricultural water management on existing agricultural lands.

Global climate change raises the pressure on supply and demand for water. Changing temperatures and long-term variation in annual precipitation amounts and regional distribution patterns require more ways to control water levels. In addition to the changing climate, cropping patterns are diversifying and field irrigation methods are changing. In light of all these changes in water demand, supply and use, the role of (subsurface) drainage has changed from a single-purpose measure for controlling waterlogging and/or salinity to an essential element of integrated water management under multiple land use scenarios.

Join this course to advance knowledge in drainage, drainage systems and solutions, and to help securing a sustainable food supply. This course contains different modules to help apply the knowledge gained directly to home country drainage situations. Furthermore, it will teach from other cases and learners worldwide, expanding horizonw on the global importance of drainage.

For who

This course was developed for professionals and students from various backgrounds, especially those who are interested in agricultural water management and want to broaden their understanding of drainage planning, design, and management, and drainage-related research and training. Although specifically watermanagers and waterengineers, agricultural engineers, irrigation professionals, hydrologists, and agricultural policy makers join this course, the course is open and accessible to everyone.