GIS for Water Resources and Irrigation Management

This training course focuses on the employment of the state-of-the-art technologies of geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing for water resources and irrigation management. The Water Conservation Strategy of the UAE was put together by the Ministry of Environment and Water of the UAE in collaboration with ICBA and it recommended the need to rationalize the consumption of available water resources, protect and develop and customize their use for the benefit of present and future generations. This is particularly vital, since the UAE is located in an arid region, where the climate changes represented by diminishing rainfall and the rainfall irregularities contribute directly to the reduction in the replenishment of aquifers. Water rationing requires synergy between natural water resources preservation methods, effective water usage, development of agricultural and water policies and legislation, water pricing policies, management of non-conventional water resources (desalinated, treated wastewater, brackish water etc) to support natural resources.

But achieving these goals requires the availability of information and data that helps in making informed decisions in the management of water resources. Hence the importance of the use of GIS and remote sensing that provide accurate scientific information for researchers and officials alike.

These technologies are able to simulate the amount of the expected uses of available groundwater compared with its normal replenishment and this is what will be reviewed by experts of the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture in this course.