EN
Irrigation is a technology assuring the solution of main problems of modern world (such as a rapid growth of population, decrease in natural resources and environment degradation) through a complex application of technological solutions to the changing needs of plants as regards water and nutrition. For last three decades the irrigation systems have played the most important role as regards the increase of food production. The irrigation area, covering about 15% arable area, provides a crop amounting to 36% of plant production. Rapid increase of irrigation systems is connected with a number of environmental issues such as the quantity and quality of water resources, sustainable agricultural production, erosion and sedimentation, water pollution, water logging and salinity, and the protection of people's health. About 70% fresh water in the world is used in agriculture. Yet, due to low quality of the irrigation systems in this sector, the losses amount to 60%. Other important environmental problems connected with the irrigation systems are erosion and seditnentation. The protection against erosion and sedimentation should be achieved through technological solutions enhancetnent, as well as designing techniques and management. An important issue here is the protection of people's health. On irrigated territories there exists a greater risk of such diseases as malaria, fasciolasis and river blindness.