Integrated irrigation water policies: Economic and Environmental impact in the "Renana" Reclamation and irrigation board, Italy

This study was laid out in the “Renana” reclamation and irrigation board, in the Italian region of Emilia Romagna (northern Italy). Its objective was to evaluate the current and future possible policies adopted or to be adopted in order to spur a rational planning and decision making in water management and to give valid scientific answers to the local decision makers. A mathematical stochastic model was designed and implemented using data collected from farms in the area and other local sources. These policies are mainly based on modifying water quantity, the irrigable area, and the flat water tariffs. Finally all these changes are also analyzed in the presence of a volumetric water tariff designed by the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). Results have shown how fundamental it is to improve distribution efficiency of the channel system in order to increase irrigated land, for the positive socio-economic and environmental impacts on the territory. However, the introduction of a volumetric tariff could be an effective tool to control water demand expected to augment due to such policy measures, depending on yearly water availability; it could be very profitable to the RIB which will increase returns.