1s7: Water banking in horticulture: maintaining water supply, while improving the water system

Abstract

The Westland region of the Netherlands is known for its greenhouse horticulture and its vast production of vegetables and flowers. Rainwater is the main source of irrigation water, yet horticulturalists use desalinated brackish groundwater as an additional water source to overcome prolonged periods of low rainfall. These groundwater extractions result in increased groundwater salinization, which puts current practice under legal discussion. A second challenge in the Westland is prevention of pluvial flooding after intense precipitation events; because of the high density of greenhouses, the region has a very low buffer capacity for rainwater.