In science and technology, sometimes benefits come from areas you might not expect. For example, in the 1980s, someone came up with the idea of putting solar panels in fields used for growing crops and grazing, and this practice was given the name "agrivoltaics." The goal was simple: to save space without having to occupy new land. But this also brought an unexpected benefit: it helped farmers save a lot of water. The importance of shade Solar panels give shade to both the plants underneath them and the soil. This creates a perfect microclimate for crops: it protects plants from too much sun and heat and, as a result, reduces evaporation. This is why you can reduce the amount of water used to irrigate your fields: savings can be as much as 20-30%. In practice, you can grow more plants with the same amount of water you would use in a field where there are no solar panels. But that’s not all. With agrivoltaics, there are other things that can be done to manage water intelligently. For example, there are systems that collect rainwater and store it for irrigating fields only when needed. There are also super-tech sensors that help monitor nutrients in the soil. This means that farmers are able to know exactly how much nutrient their plants require and how much they need to be watered. This also prevents waste. What is the water footprint? Water is a precious resource for everyone. This isn’t only in terms of life, but also for the economy and society in general. That's why in 2002 Dutchman Arjen Hoekstra invented the concept of the "water footprint." This is a way to calculate how much water we consume, both as people and as countries. China and India, the two nations with the world’s largest populations, are the biggest users, with over 1 trillion cubic meters per year. Then there is the United States, which "drinks" more than 900 billion liters. The water footprint helps us understand how much water we are using, in addition to raising awareness among people, companies and governments about the importance of sustainable consumption of a commodity that is after all rare on Earth. Because while it is true that this liquid covers about 70% of the Planet, fresh water, which is essential for our lives, accounts for only 2.5% of the Earth's water supply. And we actually only have access to less than half, about 1%, because the rest is present in the form of ice. The combination of agrivoltaics and smart water resource management has surprising benefits, proving that science and technology can offer unexpected solutions for sustainable land management.
