ИСТИНА

“Efficient Irrigation Management Tools for Agricultural Cultivations and Urban Landscapes (IRMA)” project which is financed in the framework of the European Territorial Cooperation Programmes (ETCP), GREECE-ITALY 2007-2013 (http://www.irrigation-management.eu/) has been launched in April 2013. Two international symposia have been planed in the framework of IRMA. The first one, has was scheduled to be held in Greece, having as main theme the relation between irrigation – drainage and landscape Irrigation and drainage scientists and stakeholders from various countries, without the limitation of areas that are included in the programme area were expected to participate. In order to preserve the territorial cooperation character of the programme, presentations that are related to IRMA project area of interest (Region of Puglia in Italy and Region of Epirus and Region of Western Greece in Greece) or concern theories, models, applications etc that have the potential to be adopted in these areas would be of preference. In this framework, the 1st International Symposium on Efficient Irrigation Management and its Effects on Urban and Rural Landscapes (IRLA 2014 􏱭from IRrigation LAndscape􏱭) was organised at the end of 2014, at Patras, Greece by the Development Agency of Western Greece Region S.A. of Local Government􏱭Olympiaki S.A. (http://www.aedpe.gr) with the scientific support of the Technological Educational Institution (TEIEP) of Epirus (http://www.teiep.gr). The symposium highlighted the effects of irrigation (the most significant water consumer) and drainage to rural and urban landscapes. Irrigation and drainage changed the route of human history. Irrigation systems, transformation of swamps and arid (even desert) land to cultivated land through land reclamation projects contributed to the agricultural revolution. Today relevant large scale systems provide adequate soil moisture conditions for agricultural cultivations. In many cases, like polders, open canal systems, agregations of pumping windmills, irrigation and drainage related activities, characterise the landscape and provide it unique and beautiful views. Additionally, irrigation systems, make urban environments more hospitable and allowed for parks and leisure setups to provide convenient and pleasant places for athletic activities, vacations etc. At the other hand, water bodies drainage or route change, big constructions like, dams and open irrigation networks, excessive and inefficient irrigation along with fertilisation, uncontrolled over pumping, etc are responsible for landscape downgrading, sea water invasion in groundwater, change in microclimate, eutrophication of water bodies, desertification etc. All these must be confronted in the framework of climate change and water deficiency.