scholarly journals Effort and Performance of the Management of Water for Agriculture under Climate Change in Southern Europe

Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Alvaro Sordo-Ward ◽  
Alfredo Granados ◽  
Ana Iglesias ◽  
Luis Garrote
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Environmental Flows ◽  
Southern Europe ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
And Performance

We evaluate alternatives for the management of water for agriculture under climate change in six representative basins of Southern Europe: Duero-Douro, Ebro, Guadalquivir, Po, Maritsa-Evros, and Struma. Management objective is the maximization of water availability, understood as the maximum demand that can be satisfied with a given reliability. We focus on water availability for agriculture. For the sake of simplicity, we assume only two types of demands: urban and irrigation. Water is first allocated to urban demands following an established priority; the remaining resources are allocated to agriculture. If water availability does not satisfy all irrigation demands, management measures are applied with the goal of achieving a balance between resources and demands. We present an analysis of three possible management measures to face water scarcity in a long-term scenario: increasing reservoir storage, improving efficiency of urban water use and modifying water allocation to environmental flows. These management measures are globally evaluated for the selected basins in three representative climate scenarios, comparing their possible range and effectiveness. Although such measures can significantly increase water availability and counterbalance a portion of water scarcity due to climate change in some basins like Ebro or Struma, in other basins, such as Guadalquivir, water availability cannot be enhanced with management measures and irrigation water use must be reduced.

scholarly journals Adaptation Effort and Performance of Water Management Strategies to Face Climate Change Impacts in Six Representative Basins of Southern Europe

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvaro Sordo-Ward ◽  
Alfredo Granados ◽  
Ana Iglesias ◽  
Luis Garrote ◽  
María Bejarano
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Water Allocation ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
River Network ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Southern Europe ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Irrigation Water Use

We evaluated different management alternatives to enhance potential water availability for agriculture under climate change scenarios. The management goal involved maximizing potential water availability, understood as the maximum volume of water supplied at a certain point of the river network that satisfies a defined demand, and taking into account specified reliability requirements. We focused on potential water availability for agriculture and assumed two types of demands: urban supply and irrigation. If potential water availability was not enough to satisfy all irrigation demands, management measures were applied aiming at achieving a compromise solution between resources and demands. The methodological approach consisted of estimation and comparison of runoff for current and future period under climate change effects, calculation of water availability changes due to changes in runoff, and evaluation of the adaptation choices that can modify the distribution of water availability, under climate change. Adaptation choices include modifying water allocation to agriculture, increasing the reservoir storage capacity, improving the efficiency of urban water use, and modifying water allocation to environmental flows. These management measures were evaluated at the desired points of the river network by applying the Water Availability and Adaptation Policy Analysis (WAAPA) model. We simulated the behavior of a set of reservoirs that supply water for a set of prioritized demands, complying with specified ecological flows and accounting for evaporation losses. We applied the methodology in six representative basins of southern Europe: Duero-Douro, Ebro, Guadalquivir, Po, Maritsa-Evros, and Struma-Strymon. While in some basins, such as the Ebro or Struma-Strymon, measures can significantly increase water availability and compensate for a fraction of water scarcity due to climate change, in other basins, like the Guadalquivir, water availability cannot be enhanced by applying the management measures analyzed, and irrigation water use will have to be reduced.

scholarly journals Socio-Economic Implications and Potential Structural Adaptations of the Tunisian Agricultural Sector to Climate Change

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2112
Author(s):  
Aymen Frija ◽  
Amine Oulmane ◽  
Ali Chebil ◽  
Mariem Makhlouf
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Economic Implications ◽  
Agricultural Income ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Structural Adaptations

Climate change is expected to have serious economic and social impacts on Tunisian rural farmers. The extent of these impacts will largely depend on the level of political and structural adaptations. This study aims to evaluate the effect of increasing water shortages on agricultural income and employment. It also analyzes structural adaptation strategies implemented by farmers in response to this challenge. We have therefore developed a regionally disaggregated supply model to simulate three types of scenarios concerning (i) decreasing quantities of irrigation water at the regional level; (ii) enhanced irrigation water use efficiency; and (iii) higher production prices. Observed crop production data for 21 crops and 24 districts of Tunisia have been used. Districts have been aggregated into five regions based on bioclimatic homogeneity. Results show that climate change will lead to the reduction of irrigated areas and an increased importance of rainfed agriculture. It will also have a negative impact on farm income and employment. This negative effect can be fully mitigated by improving water use efficiency, at farm and perimeter levels, and can be reversed by offering more attractive producer prices to farmers through enhanced value chain integration.

scholarly journals Three essays on water management strategies in response to climate change

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Yubing Fan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
State Level ◽  
Irrigation Systems ◽  
Irrigation Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Farm Level ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
Use Efficiency

Due to climate change, the amount of rainfall, and its uneven temporal and spatial distribution, affect water availability. As a result, both households and farmers need to adapt to climate change by taking appropriate actions. This dissertation incorporates insights from scholarship on both adaptation to climate change and innovation adoption. For residents, adopting drought tolerant plants (DTPs) to conserve water use is a potential adaptation to the predicted effects of climate change. Survey responses from 624 households in Missouri are analyzed using a univariate probit model. DTPs adoption is positively correlated with both low and high household incomes, homeownership, living in rural subdivisions, mowing lawns high, time spent on yardwork, pro-environmental attitudes, and concerns about droughts. Policy interventions might include subsidizing the purchase of DTPs, requirements for use of DTPs in new housing developments, and targeted educational efforts. To encourage farmers to conserve water and use water more efficiently, understanding their decision-making on adoption of enhanced irrigation systems and scientific scheduling practices is essential. Using data from the national 2013 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey (FRIS) conducted by USDA, this dissertation employs a mixed and multilevel approach to analyze both land- and crop-specific irrigation decisions. Three land-level equations on irrigation share, irrigation application rate, and harvest share are estimated. Results show that irrigation share, application rate and harvest share are associated with variables related to water costs, farm size, irrigation systems, barriers to improvements, information sources, etc. In addition, the adoption decisions are analyzed focusing on corn and soybean farms using multilevel models (MLMs) as they can better deal with the farm-level data embedded in states. Application of MLMs to the analysis of farmers' adoption provides new insights on the proportion of variability in each response accounted for by farm- versus state-level factors. The results suggest that, while adoption is affected by land areas, off-farm surface water, various barriers and information sources, the variability of pressure irrigation adoption is mainly accounted for by factors at the state level, while the adoption of scientific scheduling practices is mainly accounted for by farm-level variation. Controlling for farm-level factors, farmers in areas with drought conditions in 2012, i.e., lower than average rainfall and higher than average temperatures, are more likely to have adopted pressure irrigation systems and scientific scheduling practices by 2013. In addition, sustainability of water resources requires producers to take account of marginal user costs when making production decisions. Adoption of enhanced irrigation systems and higher water cost can achieve potential improvements in irrigation water use efficiency. In a multicrop production system with irrigation, farmers make decisions about land allocated to each crop, irrigation water application, and their decisions, along with growing conditions, determine crop supply. This dissertation also analyses water application to multiple crops at the farm level and the effects of influential factors on irrigation water use efficiency of specific crops. As MLMs permit the incorporation of state-level variables, they are further applied in analyzing the multicrop production decisions and irrigation water use efficiency. The results show higher water price encourages efficient water use. Moreover, adoption of pressure irrigation systems could reduce soybean water use or increase corn yield. Adoption of pressure irrigation increases the economic irrigation water use efficiency on soybean farms. The findings from MLMs show that variables representing deviations from 30 year state average climate conditions in 2012 and 2013 have fairly consistent effects. Climate risks and higher temperatures promote more efficient water use and higher yields. Higher precipitation is correlated with lower water application and higher crop yield. Federal programs and policy should not only target specific barriers and increase the effectiveness of incentives at the farm level, but also address differing priorities in each state. Implications from these analyses should benefit future policy design and improve education programs.

scholarly journals Assessing the Climate Change Impacts on Grain Sorghum Yield and Irrigation Water Use under Full and Deficit Irrigation Strategies

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kritika Kothari ◽  
Srinivasulu Ale ◽  
James P. Bordovsky ◽  
Clyde L. Munster
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Deficit Irrigation ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Grain Filling ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Grain Sorghum ◽  
Full Irrigation ◽  
Irrigation Water Use

HighlightsIrrigated grain sorghum yield and irrigation water use decreased under climate change.Increase in growing season temperature beyond 26°C resulted in a sharp decline in grain sorghum yield.Irrigating during early reproductive stages resulted in the most efficient use of limited water.Irrigating to replenish soil water to 80% of field capacity was found suitable for both current and future climates. Groundwater overdraft from the Ogallala Aquifer for irrigation use and anticipated climate change impacts pose major threats to the sustainability of agriculture in the Texas High Plains (THP) region. In this study, the DSSAT-CSM-CERES-Sorghum model was used to simulate climate change impacts on grain sorghum production under full and deficit irrigation strategies and suggest optimal deficit irrigation strategies. Two irrigation strategies were designed based on (1) crop growth stage and (2) soil water deficit. For the first strategy, seven deficit irrigation scenarios and one full irrigation scenario were simulated: three scenarios with a single 100 mm irrigation scheduled between panicle initiation and boot (T1), between boot and early grain filling (T2), and between early and late grain filling (T3) growth stages; three 200 mm irrigation treatments with combinations of T1 and T2 (T4), T1 and T3 (T5), and T2 and T3 (T6); one 300 mm irrigation scenario (T7) that was a combination of T1, T2, and T3; and a full irrigation scenario (T8) in which irrigation was applied throughout the growing season to maintain at least 50% of plant-available water in the top 30 cm soil profile. For the second strategy, the irrigation schedule obtained from auto-irrigation (T8) was mimicked to create a full irrigation scenario (I100) and six deficit irrigation scenarios. In the deficit irrigation scenarios, water was applied on the same dates as scenario I100; however, the irrigation amounts of scenario I100 were reduced by 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, and 60% to create deficit irrigation scenarios I90, I80, I70, I60, I50, and I40, respectively. Projected climate forcings were drawn from nine global climate models (GCMs) and two representative concentration pathways (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5). Climate change analysis indicated that grain sorghum yield under full irrigation was expected to be reduced by 5% by mid-century (2036 to 2065) and by 15% by late-century (2066 to 2095) under RCP 8.5 compared to the baseline period (1976 to 2005). Simulated future irrigation water demand of grain sorghum was reduced due to the shorter growing season and improved dry matter- and yield-transpiration productivity, likely due to CO2 fertilization. Based on the simulated grain sorghum yield and irrigation water use efficiency, the most efficient use of limited irrigation was achieved by applying irrigation during the early reproductive stages of grain sorghum (panicle initiation through early grain filling). A 20% deficit irrigation scenario was found to be optimal for current and future conditions because it was more water use efficient than full irrigation with a minor yield reduction of <11%. In summary, these results indicated that strategic planning of when and how much to irrigate could help in getting the most out of limited irrigation. Keywords: CERES-Sorghum, Critical growth stages, Crop yield, Global climate model, Irrigation demand, Soil water depletion.

scholarly journals A conceptual theoretical framework to integrally assess the possible impacts of climate change on domestic irrigation water use

Water SA ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 586
Author(s):  
Chikondi Makwiza ◽  
Musandji Fuamba ◽  
Fadoua Houssa ◽  
Heinz Erasmus Jacobs
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Understanding irrigation water use efficiency at different scales for better policy reform: a case study of the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia

Water Policy ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ejaz Qureshi ◽  
R. Quentin Grafton ◽  
Mac Kirby ◽  
Munir A. Hanjra
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Environmental Flows ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
Murray Darling Basin ◽  
Use Efficiency

This paper examines water use efficiency and economic efficiency with a particular focus on the Murray-Darling Basin of Australia and the stated policy goal of increasing environmental flows of water in the Basin. The different measures of efficiency are explained, and their implications for water reform and the efficacy of market based approaches to addressing the water scarcity issues and environmental flow needs are explored. Public policies to subsidize investments for improvements in irrigation efficiency are shown not to be currently cost effective compared to alternatives, such as buying water through water markets. The implications of these findings, and the factors that determine the demand for irrigation water by competing uses, can guide policy makers undertaking water reforms in the agricultural sector to mitigate the environmental consequences of overuse of water resources.

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