IRRIGATION IN AGRICULTURE AND

CLIMATE CHANGE

Agrotech, 2017

Legislation Current situation

Needs, possibilities, existing and potential problems

Irrigation is regulated with the Water Law, and when it comes to waters of local significance (WL, art. 48) regulation (decision) of local self-

government units. Irrigation is treated as use of waters and water supplies (WL, art. 41 .1)

and it does not belong in general use of water (drinks, recreation, sailing, sanitary use...) which is defined by article 42.

Irrigation belongs to a special use of water for which it’s necessary to get a water permit (WL, art. 43) , and when it comes to quantity of water larger than 175 m3 per day a concession is needed

also (WL, art. 135. 6).

Water permit (after water condition and consent) is handed out by competent authority for issuing water acts.

For irrigation more than 20 ha permit is handed out by Administration for waters, and

for irrigation less than 20 ha competent authority of local administration.

When it comes to concession, if Administration for waters is amenable for handing out water acts, the decision is made by the Government, and if local authorities hand out

water acts – supervisor of units of local self-government.

Article 61 Water that is intended for irrigation of agricultures has to be a certain quality.

The Ministry in charge of agriculture, with the prior opinion of the Ministry responsible for health, shall closely determine the water quality parameters used for irrigation of

agricultural land.

Our Ministry of agriculture hasn’t yet made the regulation from article 61.

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Conceptual errors in

the conception system for irrigation

Artificial rain systems

& “drop by drop”

Law on

land restitution

Irrigation as a hydro-technical measure on the regulation of the water regime of the land in the territory of Montenegro is applied only to

18,000 ha, which makes only about 3% of the total agricultural area. Of this, around 12% of the area uses modern irrigation systems, while on

most of the areas there is local (traditional) irrigation.

Modern systems for irrigation of agricultural land that are in use are used at sites:

Tivatsko polje, Grahovsko Polje and Ćemovsko polje

Tivatsko polje, with an area of 20 ha, partly under greenhouse, with the use of water from micro-accumulation on the Gradiošnica River (volume of 60,000 m3).

Grahovsko polje, a system under construction, with a designated irrigation area of 400 ha, with the use of water from the built reservoir at the source of the Grahovska River, volume of about 1,000,000 m3.

Ćemovsko polje, with plantations of grapevine and peaches, on an area of 2,000 ha, with the application of an irrigation system with artificial rain on an area of 1,100 ha and a drop by drop method on an area of 900 ha. For irrigation, the groundwater from the rich aquifer issued by Ćemovsko polje is involved.

Sources of irrigation can be:

• surface watercourses and natural accumulations • underground waters • artificial reservoirs

Main watercourses and lakes in Montenegro

COLD PART OF THE YEAR oct-nov-dec-jan-feb-mar

350 do 3450 l/m2

Precipitation

WARM PART OF THE YEAR apr-may-jun-jul-aug-sep

430 do 1200 l/m2

Precipitation

SUMMER jun-jul-aug

120 do 350 l/m2

Precipitation

Needs for irrigation

For areas where the values of the drought index are less than 20, irrigation is necessary except for some highly resistant cultures, and for values of 20-30, it is applied as an additional measure.

V VI VII VIII IX

Bar 40.4 22.6 12.9 17.6 43.0

Ulcinj 29.8 18.9 9.4 15.4 33.2

H. Novi 47.3 25.4 15.0 28.2 61.2

Podgorica 38.3 22.5 13.3 21.2 44.6

Nikšić 57.8 42.5 22.0 33.3 61.4

B. Polje 39.1 32.9 27.5 26.2 31.2

Berane 41.4 32.7 25.8 24.1 35.2

Pljevlja 37.0 42.5 31.9 28.7 33.9

Values of the drought index according to De Martonne

Climate diagrams by Walter

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Climate diagram by Walter for Ulcinj

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Climate diagram by Walter for Podgorica

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Climate diagram by Walter for Bijelo Polje

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On the territory of the Republic of Montenegro, 74,090 ha are allocated as suitable for irrigation:

Adriatic basin 59.675 ha Black Sea basin 14.415 ha

By irrigation projection, it is envisaged that by 2021, irrigation systems which would cover 80% of the total available land (59,425 ha) suitable for irrigation will be built:

Adriatic basin 52.660 ha Black Sea basin 6.745 ha

For irrigation of these surfaces it is necessary to provide about 250 million m3 of water

annually.

On a part of surfaces (about 25.000ha) where irrigation systems are planned, the drainage of excess waters should be done.

Coastal land development area

14420 ha, 66 x 106 m3

Central land development area

Northeastern land development area

38260 ha, 170 x 106 m3

6745 ha, 14 x 106 m3

Documentation for the construction of modern irrigation systems:

Veliki Polder (Skadar Lake) area of 10 400 ha, Bjelopavlićka plain 2330 ha,

Crmnicko and Orahovacko field 530 ha, Ulcinj field 400 ha

What does innovative climatological data say and what do climate trends?

EBU-POM regional model

Change of temperature and precipitation 2001-2030

Change in oC dec-jan-feb mar-apr-may jun-jul-aug sep-oct-nov

North of Montenegro

0.8 to 0.9 1.0 to 1.1 1.2 to 1.2 0.6 to 0.7

Central 0.6 to 0.7 0.9 to 1.1 1.2 to 1.3 0.6 to 0.7

South of Montenegro

0.5 to 0.6 0.6 to 0.7 0.9 to 1.1 0.6 to 0.7

Change of temperature and precipitation from 2001-2030 in regard to base period 1961-1990

Change of

precipitation

dec-jan-feb mar-apr-may jun-jul-aug sep-oct-nov

% % % %

North part -5 do -10 0 do -5 0 do 5 -15 do -20

Central part -5 do -10 0 do -5 0 do -5 -15 do -20

South part -5 do -10 0 do -5 -10 do -15 -10 do -15

Change inoC dec-jan-feb mar-apr-may jun-jul-aug sep-oct-nov

North of Montenegro

2.2 to 2.4 2.4 to 2.6 3.2 to 3.4 2.2 to 2.4

Central 1.8 to 2.0 2.4 to 2.6 3.2 to 3.4 2.0 to 2.2

South of Montenegro

1.6 to 1.8 1.8 to 2.0 2.4 to 2.6 1.8 to 2.0

Change of temperature and precipitation from 2071-2100 in regard to base period1961-1990

Change of

precipitation

dec-jan-feb mar-apr-may jun-jul-aug sep-oct-nov

% % % %

North part -20 to -30 -5 to -10 -20 to -30 -30 to -50

Central part -20 to -30 -5 to -10 -20 to -30 -30 to -50

South part -15 to -20 -10 to -15 > - 70 -30 to -50