Researching climate-resilient irrigation presented in Granada
University of Banja LukaGeneral-Scientific Associate at the Institute of Genetic Resources of the University of Banja Luka and an Associate in the Center for development and support to research, Nataša Čereković, PhD, presented results of her research at the international scientific conference “Terraenvison”, which was held in the Spanish city of Granada from 8 to 11 July 2025.
On the first day of the Conference, dedicated to nature based solutions as a tool for solving global ecological challenges within the session “Soil and water conservation for sustainable land management in grazing”, led by Prof. Manuel Siger, PhD, she presented a work titled “Enhancing Climate-Resilient Irrigation through Reference Evapotranspiration Calibration and Nature-Based Solutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
In her work, Čereković dealt with possibilities of improving irrigation strategies in the conditions of climate change, through more precise evaluation of a reference evapotranspiration and application of nature-based solutions. The research encloses nine models for calculation of evapotranspiration, analysis of the draught index and evaluation of water needs for strawberry farming under different systems of production. Particular focus was given to the efficiency of a calibrated model Hargreaves–Samani, which produced the best results in all climate zones included in the research. This research was realized in cooperation with the experts from the University of Colorado, University of Belgrade, University of Novi Sad, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, the Republic hydrometeorological institute, and the Federal hydrometeorological institute.
Čereković was the only representative of the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region at the Granada conference, and provided a significant contribution to the international visibility of the University of Banja Luka and the scientific community of the Republic of Srpska. She also participated in the workshop “Cultivating resilience: Urban agriculture as a nature-based solution,” led by Greg Kif, Sean Calen, and Rebecca McConnel. The workshop was dedicated to researching the role of urban agriculture as one of the efficient approaches in the application of nature-based solutions in combating climate change. Participants in this event discussed the potential solutions for large European cities where urban agriculture could be the key tool for strengthening the climate resilience of urban communities, improving water resource management and preserving biodiversity in an urban environment.
It is worth noting that the participation in the conference was supported by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH, through the project „Supporting participation in COST action CA21142 – Fruit CREWSˮ. Results of the presented research will be incorporated in a Monograph that will be published by the Republic of Srpska Academy of Science and Art, as well as in the Proceedings of several regional conferences.