Link to knowledge resource
This paper aims to characterize water retention ponds as viable solutions for water management in agriculture and to quantify their effectiveness, direct and indirect benefits, and costs. The paper analyses the case of the Lamone river catchment in Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy), characterized by large seasonal variability of water flow and availability, as an important area that relies heavily on irrigation. The paper analyses both the benefits of ponds for the water balance at the sub-catchment scale, and the environmental effects produced by ponds having an ecological functionality. The analyses of the effects of water retention ponds have shown their beneficial role in the agricultural landscape, particularly concerning water availability and environmental quality
