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<br />000063 <br /> <br />7 <br /> <br />resources. Strategies/management for such purposes exist, but are not being fully <br />utilized. <br /> <br />All integrated holistic approach to irrigation/drainage management and monitoring is <br />needed to sustain irrigation, to conserve water, to prevent soil salinization and <br />waterlogging and to protect the associated water supplies, environment and ecology. <br />Firstly, source control through the implementation of more efficient irrigation systems <br />and practices should be undertaken to minimize water application and to reduce deep <br />percolation. Unavoidable drainage waters should be intercepted, isolated and reused to <br />irrigate a succession of crops of increasing salt tolerance, possibly including halophytes, <br />so as to further reduce drainage water volumes and to conserve water and minimize <br />pollution, while producing useful biomass and habitat. Conjunctive use of saline <br />groundwater and surface water should also be undertaken to aid in lowering water table <br />elevations, hence to reduce the need for drainage and its disposal, and to conserve water. <br />Various means should be used to reclaim or to dispose of the ultimate unusable final <br />drainage eflluent. Unusable drainage waters should never be discharged into good quality <br />water supplies. Soil salinity needs to be monitored to assess the adequacy and <br />appropriateness of irrigation and drainage practices and to improve and refine <br />management. Presently degraded lands need to be rejuvenated. <br />