A Study on a Model for the Water Resource Use of Sustainable Farms

Abstract

The use and maintenance of water resources constitute an aggregation problem that must be solved to improve the agricultural production and environment of Taiwan. The purpose of this study was to develop a water resource recycling system that promotes the development of sustainable farms. First, we established a research base by reviewing literature related to ＂permaculture＂, ＂green building＂, and ＂irrigation and drainage engineering＂. We then combined empirical research to explore domestic sustainable farms and establish a suitable model for water resource use. We formulated a new agricultural concept that involves avoiding the use of pesticides and emphasizes natural farming and integrating environmental water resources, thus revitalizing agriculture through permaculture. We subsequently analyzed empirical case studies on landform, climate, soil, and hydrologic characteristics as well as the animals and plants that can be used as land resources according to regional features to determine the content of local water resources. We then estimated the water demand of main agricultural activities, including the water consumption of farmhouses, unit agricultural productivity, and the drainage discharge and water retention of farms. Finally, we constructed rainwater collection facilities and a water recycling system. The results, which satisfy the permaculture concept of energy cycling and the green building concept of carbon dioxide reduction, can be used to develop water resource recycling systems that facilitate the development of sustainable farms. The proposed model for water resource use serves as a valuable reference for the design of sustainable farms in the future.

臺灣農業生產與環境的綜合問題，必須要改善的其中主要課題之一，即為水資源的利用與維護。本研究主要的目的為發展出一套適合農場永續發展的水資源利用系統。首先，藉由「永續栽培」、「綠建築」、「灌溉排水學」等相關理論的文獻回顧評析建立研究基礎，並配合實証研究，探討國內相關永續農場案例等，建構適合的水資源利用模式，並導入新型態的農業栽培觀念，不使用農藥、強調自然農法與環境水資源整合應用，藉由永續栽培帶給農業新的希望；接著進行實證研究案例分析，針對基地特色將土地資源中的地形、氣候、土壤、水文、現有動植物等做分析，研究當地的水資源含量；再來是統計出農場主要活動用水需求量，包括農舍所需用水量、單位生產農作所需的水量，以及農地的排水量與農場的保水量；最後，建立農場雨水收集的設施與水資源再利用系統。本研究之研究結果為依據符合永續栽培中能量循環的理念，與綠建築指標中的節能減碳效益，發展出一套適合農場永續發展的水資源再利用系統，此一永續農場水資源利用之模式建立，期能作為未來其它永續農場之設計參考典範。