Using Industrial Barley Washed-out Wastewater for Irrigation

Abstract

In most parts of Ethiopia, the main source of water for crop production is rainfall. Currently, however, it has become erratic, and unevenly distributed. Inadequate soil and water management also are tremendously interrupting the effectiveness and sufficiency of rainfall, even in high rainfall receiving areas. There is also scarcity of water during dry cropping seasons. As a result, it becomes an obligation to establish water conservation and irrigation systems to have it in Ethiopia. To achieve this, farmer participation and coordination of the efforts of different institutions is highly considered. According to the United Nations Population Fund and Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA, 2007/, the world and Ethiopian population surpassed 7 billion and 73 million, respectively. The continuous increase of the demographic situation of Ethiopia has made it imperative to increase agricultural productivity and production to feed the visibly noted increasing population. When we were few in population and drought was not as frequent as it is now, rain fed agriculture could and did feed our population (Mulugeta and Karl 2002). In a nutshell, it is crystal clear that rain fed cultivation alone will no longer support us, even in good cropping years to be able to attain food self-sufficiency sustainably. Therefore, using our water resources in the form of irrigation is crucial to an extra rain fed cultivation, ensure sustainable agriculture, and coop within the periods of inadequate rainfall. Land application of wastewater, sludge, and extract is a widely practiced in different countries. For centuries, farmers in China used human and animal excrements as fertilizers. Wastewater and sewage sludge, as manure, have also been used by the northern European and Mediterranean civilizations (Soulie and Tremea, 1991). In many European and North American cities, wastewater was disposed of in agricultural fields before the introduction of wastewater treatment technologies to prevent pollution of water bodies. In Paris, for instance, the use of partially treated wastewater was common until the second part of the 1990s (Asano et ai.. 2007). Agricultural use of untreated wastewater has been associated with land application and crop production for centuries (Keraita et a L 2008). However, over the years, it has become less popular in developed countries with the improvement of treatment technologies and increased awareness of the environmental and health issues associated with the practice; by contrast, in developing countries, due to a variety of factors described later, farmers use it extensively, even drawing advantages to improve their livelihoods. The oldest references to the use of extract come from some Asian countries, where it was used to increase fish production through aquaculture (WHO, 2006). Sludge management has only recently become an issue, even for developed countries, because the densely populated areas are producing such large amounts of sludge and extract that natural assimilation into the environment is not possible, while space for stockpiling is limited (UNHSP, 2008). Moreover, management is complex and there is a lack of social support: people prefer to ignore what happens to extract after it is disposed of into latrines and they are uncomfortable if it is brought to their attention, be it in developed or developing countries (Snyman, 2008). This report attempts to give an overview of the use of wastewater, extract, and fecal sludge in agriculture; to characterize their use, the benefits derived, and the costs involved, particularly regarding health consequences; and to provide perceptions around such uses and perspectives for the future. It is to be noted that whilst mention will be made of reclaimed or recycled water, where relevant, the main thrust will be on non-treated wastewater.