Irrigation of arable land in Slovakia: History and perspective

Abstract

The origin of irrigation in the world was based on the human’s practical experiences in the past and gradually expanded with the development of advanced cultures. In the Middle Ages, irrigation structures did not develop and gradually ceased to exist. After World War I, alongside with industry, agriculture had been intensified in Europe. Irrigation once again became an important part of agriculture and countryside. In Czechoslovakia and Slovakia, conditions for designing, preparing implementation, and operation of irrigation were created. It was a long-term process, and only after 1960, organizations from designing to irrigation’s operation were established. After 1990, the situation has changed, and nowadays, we are resolving the need for irrigation again. The following text analyses the development of organizations and management of irrigation in the past and looks at the future development. In Slovakia, the manager and organizer of irrigation constructions have become, and still are, the state.