Abstract. Temporal series maps of irrigated areas, and the
corresponding irrigation water requirements based on remote sensing, is a
recognized tool contributing to water governance at different scales, from
water user associations to whole river basin districts. These thematic
cartographies offer a first estimation of the crop irrigation requirements,
and a biophysical based approach of the temporal and spatial distribution of
the crop water use in the cultivated areas. This work describes the
operational application of these methodologies, providing valuable
information for water governance and management purposes. The basic products
obtained in the whole Spanish part of the Iberian Peninsula during the
period 2014–2017 were: (i) annual maps of irrigated crops based on time
series of multispectral satellite imagery; and (ii) the direct remote
sensing-based water accounting, by quantifying agricultural water flows
(e.g. rainfall, irrigation, evapotranspiration, drainage and recharge),
through a remote sensing-based soil water balance. Hence this paper provides
a remote sensing based water accounting approach, which relies on dense time
series of multispectral imagery acquired by the multisensor constellation
arranged by Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 satellites, jointly with meteorological
data and agronomic knowledge. Then, based on these purpose and approach,
annual and monthly maps of net irrigation water requirements have been
elaborated at the most practical spatial and temporal scales for water
governance purposes over big areas such river basin districts. This work
summarizes the methodologies used and discuss the technical and
non-technical feasibility of the proposed approach.
Green-blue water accounting in a soil water balance
