SWAMED presented its co-designed smart water management approach for Mediterranean rice cultivation at CIGR-EurAgEng 2026, highlighting collaborative solutions to improve irrigation efficiency and address water scarcity.
The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), an active partner within the SWAMED project consortium, successfully participated in the CIGR-EurAgEng 2026 Conference on “Emerging Technology and Innovation in Biosystems”. The prestigious event took place at the Polytechnic of Turin, Italy, from June 24–26, 2026.
Representing the SWAMED project (Project Code: A_T_2.3_0561), the AUTH team delivered a well-received presentation titled: “Sustainable Water Management for Smart Agriculture in Rice Cultivation in Mediterranean Regions.”
Addressing the Mediterranean Water Crisis
Water scarcity remains one of the most pressing challenges facing Mediterranean agriculture. Rice production is particularly vulnerable to this crisis due to its historically high water requirements. Mitigating these risks requires a swift transition toward innovative, highly precise, and sustainable water management technologies.
The primary objective of the study presented in Turin was to design a comprehensive water monitoring and management system specifically tailored to the unique agronomic and environmental conditions of Mediterranean rice fields.
A Collaborative, Multi-Stakeholder Framework
A core pillar of SWAMED’s methodology highlighted during the conference is its multi-stakeholder participatory framework. Rather than imposing top-down technological solutions, the project actively co-designs its monitoring systems alongside the people who use and manage them daily, including:
This collaborative approach ensures that the final smart-irrigation tools respond directly to local constraints, boast high adoption rates, and deliver measurable water savings.
The constructive dialogue sparked during CIGR-EurAgEng 2026 further validates the SWAMED consortium’s commitment to delivering scalable, community-backed smart farming solutions.
Last Update
21/07/2026
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