Nature-based solutions for agricultural water management
Characteristics and enabling factors for their broad adoption
Nature-based solutions may be cost-effective in addressing water management issues in agriculture. Treatment wetlands enable the removal of excess nutrients from manure in areas with limitations to fertilizers application. Reed beds may be a cheap and operationally simple option for the treatment of sludge before application to agricultural land. When treating domestic wastewater sludge with little runoff and industrial contributions, likely to contain low levels of metals and other persistent contaminants, the long retention time of reed beds ensures degradation of the less persistent chemicals, hence potentially a sludge of good chemical quality that could be a valuable soil conditioner. These solutions may be often financially self-sustainable.
The implementation of NBS requires an assessment of costs and benefits in comparison with their “grey” alternatives, and the definition of appropriate “business models” to secure their broad uptake and sustainable operation.
PISTOCCHI Alberto;
2022-12-15
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC131465
978-92-76-60487-7 (online),
1831-9424 (online),
EUR 31351 EN,
OP KJ-NA-31-351-EN-N (online),
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC131465,
10.2760/343927 (online),
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