From Drought to Sustainable Agricultural Production. Historical Water Resource Management Experiences in the Quíbor Valley (Venezuela)

Water scarcity is one of the limitations that restricts agricultural production, and it has been aggravated by climate change, which increases the need to optimize irrigation systems. Among the successful experiences on water management are those of the Iberian Peninsula and Israel. In Latin America, successful experiences are less promoted, the management of water resources in the Quíbor Valley, north-western Venezuela, constitutes a successful example of water resource management in agricultural development. Historically, water management in the region was carried out empirically, since the arrival of settlers from the Canary Islands in the last century. This led to problems of overexploitation of aquifers and salinization of soils. Over the years, based on experience and integration of research institutes, the optimization and improvement of irrigation techniques was achieved, which contribute to soil conservation and mitigating soil salinization. This chapter describes the origin of the irrigation techniques implemented by the settlers, the technical requirements for their adoption, advantages, disadvantages, and their impact on agricultural production in the region.