{"id":767,"date":"2025-11-19T13:39:30","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T13:39:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/farmwise-project.eu\/?p=767"},"modified":"2025-11-19T13:39:30","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T13:39:30","slug":"farmwise-workshop-explores-future-scenarios-for-water-management-in-dutch-agriculture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/farmwise-project.eu\/index.php\/2025\/11\/19\/farmwise-workshop-explores-future-scenarios-for-water-management-in-dutch-agriculture\/","title":{"rendered":"FARMWISE Workshop Explores Future Scenarios for Water Management in Dutch Agriculture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>On <strong>28 October<\/strong>, FARMWISE partners hosted a focused online workshop titled <em>\u201cToekomstscenario\u2019s voor waterbeheer in de landbouw\u201d<\/em> or &#8220;Future scenarios for water management in agriculture&#8221; to explore how climate change, irrigation strategies, and emerging technologies will shape the future of water management in Dutch agriculture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Facilitated by <strong>Wageningen University<\/strong>, the session brought together <strong>12 participants<\/strong>, including researchers, policymakers, provincial authorities, water boards, consultants, and representatives from regional media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This workshop is part of FARMWISE\u2019s ongoing effort to engage regional actors in <strong>co-developing practical, climate-resilient water solutions<\/strong>, grounded in real farm and watershed conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udf31 Context &amp; Objective<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Netherlands faces increasing challenges from <strong>shifting rainfall patterns<\/strong>, <strong>more frequent droughts<\/strong>, and <strong>growing pressure on water availability<\/strong> for agriculture. The workshop aimed to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Present updates on three key <strong>FARMWISE innovations<\/strong> tested in the Netherlands<br>\u27a4 <em>Agrodit<\/em><br>\u27a4 <em>Low-cost soil moisture sensors<\/em><br>\u27a4 <em>Subsurface irrigation systems (incl. controlled drainage via subirrigation \u2013 innovation 9)<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Explore <strong>short- and long-term future scenarios<\/strong> for water availability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gather <strong>regional insights<\/strong> on the suitability of new technologies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Discuss opportunities and challenges in <strong>expanding stakeholder involvement<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This discussion is especially important in the Dutch context, where water boards and provinces play a central role in managing both <strong>water quantity<\/strong> and <strong>water quality<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udcac Discussion Highlights<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1\ufe0f<\/strong><strong>\u20e3 Impact of rainfall variability on irrigation timing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Participants noted that rapidly changing rainfall patterns complicate decisions around <strong>when and how long<\/strong> irrigation is needed. This affects not only crop performance but also <strong>regional water storage strategies<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2\ufe0f<\/strong><strong>\u20e3 Effects of subirrigation on water balance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stakeholders explored how controlled drainage and subirrigation influence the <strong>distribution of water in the soil profile<\/strong>, evapotranspiration rates, and the <strong>long-term stability of groundwater levels<\/strong>.<br>Regional authorities, particularly from the <strong>Limburg region<\/strong>, contributed perspectives on how these systems perform under their local conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3\ufe0f<\/strong><strong>\u20e3 Suitability of innovation 9 under climate stress<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A key question raised concerned how <strong>innovation 9 (controlled drainage with subirrigation)<\/strong> behaves during prolonged drought periods. Participants considered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>whether its benefits are <strong>region-specific<\/strong>,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>its compatibility with <strong>climate projections<\/strong>,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>and how water boards can support adoption at scale.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The conversation expanded from <strong>regional<\/strong> experiences to <strong>national-level<\/strong> contrasts, highlighting the diversity of soil types, hydrological systems, and governance structures across the Netherlands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4\ufe0f<\/strong><strong>\u20e3 Stakeholder engagement challenges<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another topic was the practicality of expanding the stakeholder network via surveys. Several participants indicated that broader engagement may not be feasible without providing <strong>more context, guidance, and clarity<\/strong> on how the insights will be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Key Insights &amp; Emerging Conclusions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2714 <strong>Regional differences matter.<\/strong><br>The suitability of innovations such as controlled drainage or subsurface irrigation depends strongly on <strong>local soil types, groundwater levels, and climatic stresses<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2714 <strong>Short-term thinking remains dominant.<\/strong><br>Stakeholders felt more confident evaluating scenarios within the <strong>next 10\u201320 years<\/strong>, compared to longer-term planning horizons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2714 <strong>Long-term adoption requires investment.<\/strong><br>Several participants emphasised that making innovations future-proof will require <strong>substantial, forward-looking investment<\/strong>, particularly for infrastructure-heavy systems like controlled drainage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2714 <strong>Expansion of stakeholder engagement is limited.<\/strong><br>Due to time constraints and competing priorities, participants noted that significantly expanding the network via surveys may not be realistic in the Dutch context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\ud83e\udd1d Why This Matters for FARMWISE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This workshop strengthens FARMWISE\u2019s ambition to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Co-create<\/strong> practical, region-sensitive water solutions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bridge local knowledge<\/strong> with digital and scientific tools<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Support <strong>water boards, provinces, and farmers<\/strong> in adapting to a changing climate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure innovations are <strong>tested, evaluated, and contextualised<\/strong> within real-world governance and environmental conditions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These insights feed directly into FARMWISE\u2019s modelling work, scenario development, and the refinement of digital tools for sustainable water use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udce3 How Stakeholders Can Get Involved<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>FARMWISE continues to welcome participation from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Farmers and grower associations<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Water boards and provinces<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regional authorities and municipalities<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Irrigation specialists and environmental consultancies<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Researchers and innovation practitioners<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Ways to participate include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udd39 Joining upcoming <strong>webinars and workshops<\/strong><br>\ud83d\udd39 Collaborating on <strong>scenario-building activities<\/strong><br>\ud83d\udd39 Providing feedback on <strong>decision-support tools<\/strong><br>\ud83d\udd39 Sharing <strong>regional case studies<\/strong> and challenges<br>\ud83d\udd39 Helping validate innovations under <strong>real farm conditions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To express interest or stay informed, please visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/farmwise-project.eu\/index.php\/contact\/\"><strong>Contact<\/strong> <\/a>page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 28 October, FARMWISE partners hosted a focused online workshop titled \u201cToekomstscenario\u2019s voor waterbeheer in de landbouw\u201d or &#8220;Future scenarios for water management in agriculture&#8221; to explore how climate change, irrigation strategies, and emerging technologies will shape the future of water management in Dutch agriculture. Facilitated by Wageningen University, the session brought together 12 participants, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":768,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/farmwise-project.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/farmwise-project.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/farmwise-project.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farmwise-project.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farmwise-project.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=767"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/farmwise-project.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":769,"href":"https:\/\/farmwise-project.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/767\/revisions\/769"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farmwise-project.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/farmwise-project.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farmwise-project.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farmwise-project.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}