An overview of irrigation system performance on the island of Malta

Abstract

The island of Malta has a typical Mediterranean climate with an annual precipitation of circa 500mm spreading over the October to March period. The semi arid environment has always provoked the indigenous population to develop and adopt techniques that would maximise water harvesting and distribution efficiency. Within the nine year span (1991-2000), the agricultural land in Malta decreased by an estimated 1,164 hectares, reaching a total land base of 10,738 hectares. Despite this loss, the National Statistics Office registered an increase of 420 hectares in irrigated land. This could be interpreted as 1) water availability has increased or 2) efficiency in water distribution has increased. Furthermore, protected cropping through the use of greenhouses and cloches equipped with drip irrigation systems are now increasing in use and popularity. The use of treated sewage water was a key factor in stimulating agricultural development in the south region. Irrigation efficiency may be measured using a variety of indicators, such as: area under irrigation, amount of produce marketed, volume of water storage, and deterioration of ground water resources. A review of irrigation under a Maltese context is presented.