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Agricol Smart Cluster
Research centre of the cluster

Centre for Agricultural Water Management

Centrul de Cercetare pentru Managementul Apei în Agricultură (CAWM)

The Centre measures how much water farms actually use, tests in the field the practices that keep water in the soil, and makes the results available to farmers, local administrations and water authorities in Romania and the European Union. Based on these measurements, it proposes a model for agricultural water management that can be taken up in public policy.

Established
12 October 2026, by unanimous vote of the founding members
Status
department of the Mireșu Mare-Agricol Smart Cluster Association
Scope
national and European
Why

Why the Centre is needed

Agriculture is the most significant pressure on surface water and groundwater in Europe, through the water it uses and through the nutrients and pesticides that reach water bodies. Farms feel the effects of drought, changing water availability and declining water quality first-hand.

30%

of Europe's population is affected by water stress every year, across 20% of its territory.

European Environment Agency, 2024
≥ 10%

improvement in water efficiency, the European Union's target for 2030.

European Water Resilience Strategy, 2025
6×

more treated wastewater could be reused in the EU than the current volume of about 1 billion m³ a year.

European Commission
0 of 3

agricultural indicators in Romania's national water factsheet could be filled in from public sources.

Centre analysis, 2026

In Romania, data on water used in agriculture exist, but they are split between the National Land Improvement Agency, the Ministry of Environment and the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, and cannot be traced to a verifiable public source. The Centre aims to complete the agricultural section of the national water factsheet (equipped area, irrigated area, treated wastewater reused), extend it with new indicators and publish it as open data.

Mission

What the Centre does

The Centre's work follows four steps. Each step builds on the data from the one before.

  1. 01

    Measure

    Actual water use on pilot farms in different agro-climatic zones, with water meters, soil moisture sensors and weather stations.

  2. 02

    Test

    Practices that reduce water use or keep water in the soil, compared under the same conditions, with water savings expressed in m³/ha.

  3. 03

    Transfer

    Validated practices become courses and materials for farmers, agricultural advisers and municipal staff.

  4. 04

    Propose

    Findings feed into river basin management plans, the Common Agricultural Policy after 2027 and European projects.

Measure first, then set targets

Water-saving targets are set after the first measurement season, based on the baseline report from the pilot farms. Until that report is published, the Centre does not announce any figures for reduced water use.

Organisation

How the Centre is organised

The Centre has a director, four operational units and two advisory councils. The director is appointed by the Association's board, runs day-to-day operations and reports annually. Decisions remain with the general assembly and the board.

General assembly and boardapprove the organisation chart, rules and budget
Scientific and Research Counciltopics and methodologiesadvisory
Director of the Centreday-to-day management, projects, data
Users' Councilfarmers, irrigation water users' organisations, ANIF, river basin administrations, local authoritiesadvisory
1. Applied researchpilot farms, irrigation, soil, treated wastewater
2. Data and analysiswater-soil balance, Copernicus, drought
3. Training and transferfarmers, advisers, municipalities
4. Policy and EUbasin plans, CAP, projects
Members with infrastructure, research partners, pilot farmsparticipation and data agreements signed with the Association
Dashed boxes indicate an advisory role.

Scientific and Research Council

This is the council provided for in the Association's statute, with one representative from each research partner. It defines research topics and reviews methodologies, including on critical infrastructure, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

Users' Council

With their consent, it brings together farmers, irrigation water users' organisations, the National Land Improvement Agency (ANIF), river basin water administrations and local authorities. Its role is to make sure research topics start from real problems.

The first research partners are the Association's founding university members: the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca and the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca. The network will grow to include national research institutes and European partners from project consortia.

Operational units

What each unit does

The units work on a project basis. At launch they have no staff of their own: researchers come from members and research partners, and hiring follows funding. Each unit is responsible for one verifiable result at 24 months, listed in the Timeline section.

01

Applied researchCritical and vital infrastructure

Researches and measures practices that reduce water use or keep water in the soil. Develops and applies operational procedures for water, treated as vital infrastructure.

  • precision irrigation, drip irrigation and irrigation guided by soil moisture sensors;
  • soil as a water reservoir: organic matter, minimum tillage, cover crops;
  • reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation, under Regulation (EU) 2020/741;
  • water retention in the landscape: shelterbelts, ponds, small retention basins;
  • drought-tolerant crops and varieties.

Research questions: how much water precision irrigation saves at farm and basin level; under what economic conditions treated wastewater becomes cost-effective for farmers.

02

Data and analysis

Organises farm data, checks the quality of measurements and analyses the relationship between water, soil and yield.

  • water-soil balance on the pilot farms;
  • combining Copernicus satellite data with ground measurements;
  • early drought warning indicators for farmers and municipalities;
  • the agricultural section of the national water factsheet, with a verifiable source and a quality code (A, B or C) for every value.
03

Training and transfer

Turns validated practices into courses and working materials.

  • training for farmers and agricultural advisers;
  • training for municipal staff in water planning and drought risk;
  • listing the programmes in the training catalogue of the European Water Academy.
04

Public policy and EU projects

Prepares the Association's participation in project consortia and brings the Centre's findings into public decision-making.

  • monitoring funding calls and preparing contributions to proposals;
  • river basin management plans and their public consultations;
  • the Common Agricultural Policy after 2027;
  • relations with European networks: the European Water Academy, the Water Resilience Stakeholder Platform, Water4All.
Projects

The Centre's projects

The Centre has seven projects of its own. The first three define its identity and support the others. The remaining four start as funding is secured.

PROJECT 1core

On-farm water observatory

Actual water use measured on at least four farms in different agro-climatic zones, with an annual baseline report.

PROJECT 2core

Agricultural section of the national water factsheet

The three agricultural indicators completed, new efficiency indicators, publication as open data.

PROJECT 3core

"Water on the Farm" training programme

A course for farmers, advisers and municipal staff, built on the practices validated on the pilot farms.

PROJECT 4

Early drought warning

Alert thresholds derived from Copernicus data and soil sensors, for farmers and mayors.

PROJECT 5

Soil as a water reservoir

A comparative trial of minimum tillage, cover crops and organic matter, with retained water measured.

PROJECT 6

Treated wastewater for irrigation in small communes

A feasibility study under Regulation (EU) 2020/741: quality, cost, profitability for farmers.

PROJECT 7

Agricultural water in public policy

Contributions based on measured data to the river basin management plans for 2028-2033 and to the CAP after 2027.

In the field

The pilot farm network

The network starts with at least four farms in different agro-climatic zones. Each farm receives a basic set of measuring equipment and signs a participation and data agreement with the Association.

After the first growing season, the Centre publishes a baseline report with the actual water use measured on each farm. Water-saving targets are set on that basis, and the farms then become testing and demonstration sites for new practices.

The data belong to the farmer

The Association receives the right to use them for research, reporting and projects. Ownership of equipment bought through projects follows the rules of the project that funds it.

  • Water meterthe volume of water actually used for irrigation
  • Soil moisture sensorsthe water held in the soil throughout the season
  • Weather stationrainfall, temperature and wind, measured on the farm
Participation

What each participant brings and receives

The Centre is open to all members of the Association on the same terms, including the initiator. Membership does not guarantee funding and gives no automatic rights to other participants' results.

The member brings

Farms or agricultural land

Receives through the Centre

  • basic measuring equipment: water meter, soil moisture sensors, weather station;
  • data from their own farm;
  • training.
The member brings

Laboratories and research staff

Receives through the Centre

  • instrumented pilot farms and field data;
  • access to end users;
  • a defined role in project consortia.
The member brings

Local administration

Receives through the Centre

  • data for planning;
  • projects on its own territory;
  • access to the consultations on river basin plans.
The member brings

Support, advisory or training services

Receives through the Centre

  • a role in training and dissemination;
  • access to the Centre's European networks.

How a member joins a project

  1. The Centre announces the call to all members, with a response deadline.
  2. Each interested member states in writing what it brings: equipment, farms, experts, co-financing.
  3. The board selects the team using published criteria: fit with the call, implementation capacity, contribution.
  4. The Association issues the mandate to represent it for that call.
European context

Aligned with the European Water Resilience Strategy

The European Commission adopted the Water Resilience Strategy in June 2025. Each line of action in the Strategy has a concrete counterpart in the Centre's work and a unit responsible for it.

European line of actionWhat the Centre doesUnit
Restoring the water cycletests soil as a reservoir and water retention in the landscape on the pilot farmsResearch
"Water efficiency first" and the target of at least 10% by 2030measures water use before setting targets and proposes efficiency indicators for agriculture, in m³/ha and m³ per tonne of produceResearchData
Water-smart economyassesses the reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation and its cost to farmersResearch
Clean and affordable watertracks nitrate losses from farms and brings water users into basin consultationsPolicy
Digitalisation and artificial intelligenceon-farm sensors, Copernicus data, open data with quality codesData
Research, innovation and skillsa training programme for the European catalogue; the pilot farms work as living labsTraining

European Water Academy

Launched by the European Commission through the Joint Research Centre (JRC) on 21 September 2026 as a flagship action of the Strategy. It works as a network of networks, linking organisations that produce knowledge with those that apply it.

The first training topics announced are aimed at water operators: wastewater treatment, leak detection, pipe installation, drinking water production. Agriculture is not among them. The Centre is preparing a training programme for farmers and advisers, which it will propose for the Academy's catalogue after the first delivery.

European and national projects

The Centre takes part in projects through the Association, usually as a consortium partner. It brings a concrete package: instrumented pilot farms, baseline data, access to farmers and advisers, training and dissemination.

The funding sources it targets are Horizon Europe, the Water4All European partnership and the operational groups of the European Innovation Partnership for agriculture (EIP-AGRI) under Romania's CAP Strategic Plan. Calls on water and agriculture require consortia that bring together farmers, researchers and advisers.

Timeline

The first two years

In its first 90 days the Centre sets itself up, and in 2027 it measures actual water use on the pilot farms. The baseline report after the 2027 season opens the second year.

  1. Days 1-30by 11 November 2026

    Set-up

    Director appointed, members' resources listed, rules and agreements prepared.

  2. Days 31-60by 11 December 2026

    Partners and farms

    Research partners and pilot farms confirmed, research topics defined.

  3. Days 61-90by 10 January 2027

    Plan and budget

    The 24-month plan, the budget and the first list of projects, presented to the board.

  4. Plan approved
  5. Year 1January-December 2027

    First measurement season

    Pilot farms instrumented, actual water use measured over the 2027 growing season.

  6. Baseline report
  7. Year 2January-October 2028

    Testing and training

    Water-saving targets set, practices tested side by side, training programme delivered, contribution to the 2028-2033 basin plans.

Days are counted from the vote of 12 October 2026. Milestones after day 90 are indicative and will be confirmed in the 24-month plan, depending on funding, partner agreements and the farming calendar.

Verifiable results at 24 months

Actual water use

At least four instrumented pilot farms in different agro-climatic zones, and the baseline report after the first season.

Validated solutions

At least three practices tested side by side, with water savings measured in m³/ha.

Open data

The agricultural section of the national water factsheet completed, extended with new indicators and published as open data.

Training

A programme for farmers and advisers, delivered at least once and proposed for the European Water Academy catalogue.

Projects

At least two European proposals submitted as a partner and one national proposal.

Public policy

At least one contribution to the public consultation on the next cycle of river basin management plans.

Legal status

The Centre for Agricultural Water Management is a department of the Mireșu Mare-Agricol Smart Cluster Association, without separate legal personality, established under the Association's statute (Chapter I, para. 2). The Centre does not apply for funding or sign contracts in its own name: the applicant is the Association or the eligible member designated for each call. The Centre's budget is shown separately in the Association's income and expenditure budget.

Sources

The pilot farm network is open

We are looking for farms in different agro-climatic zones, municipalities interested in water planning and drought risk, irrigation organisations and research partners. Write to us and we will explain how to take part.

Let's talk