The Interreg Aurora funded project REWATER aims to develop smart water management solutions, to ensure sustainable agricultural water management in a changing climate in the Interreg Aurora programme area.
Global warming causes increasing risks for health, livelihoods, food security, water supply, and economic growth. The risks depend on geographic locations and relevant actions taken for the mitigation and adaptation measures for climate change. Recent studies suggest that the Nordic region is both winner and loser in climate change impacts on agricultural productivity. The increasing temperature and CO2 emissions stimulate photosynthesis and lead to longer growing seasons in the high latitudes. On the other hand, hydrological extremes, i.e., droughts and floods, are becoming more frequent phenomena, which challenge the development of agriculture and crop production.
The REWATER project gathers field evidence on agricultural water management, assesses the impact of hydroclimatological extremes on crop production in the north, and customizes simulation models to study smart agricultural water management under changing conditions. REWATER rests on diverse field campaigns in the pilot sites in Finland and Sweden to investigate how ICT can facilitate smart drainage and irrigation.
Contact: Niko Hänninen, project manager, Oulun yliopisto, Niko.Hanninen@oulu.fi
