Reducing the Carbon Footprint of the Water-Energy Binomial through Governance and ICT. A Case Study

This paper reveals reductions of up to 485 t CO₂ eq (CO₂ equivalent) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of energy origin associated with the water-energy binomial which can be achieved after modernizing and automating a Water User Association (WUA) of over 1780 users with microplots in a total area of 775 ha in southeastern Spain. This case study aims to show how the latest advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs) for precision agriculture are being applied efficiently with the implementation of a Smart Agri system, capable of making improvements through the use of renewable energies (64.49% of the total CO₂e- avoided), automation in irrigation water management, by applying adequate governance, use of ICTs (731,014 m³ per water footprint reduction with 20.41% of total CO₂ eq of associated electrical origin), hydraulic improvements (283,995 m³ per water footprint reduction, 13.77% of the total CO₂ eq of associated electrical origin) and reduction of evaporation in reservoirs (26,022 m³ of water by water footprint reduction with 1.33% of the total CO₂ eq electrical origin avoided) that act as batteries to accumulate the daily solar energy and enable watering at night, when irrigation is most efficient. It is important to consider the valuable contribution of these artificial green lungs, not only in terms of food for the European Union, but also as a CO₂ eq sink that supports the planet’s GHGs. As shown in this study, this is made possible by the joint governance led by the Water Users Association (WUA) and co-led by different management organizations with the support of ICT.