Influence of the Water Source on the Carbon Footprint of Irrigated Agriculture: A Regional Study in South-Eastern Spain

Abstract

Curbing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to combat climate change is a major global challenge. Although irrigated agriculture consumes considerable energy that generates GHG emissions, the biomass produced also represents an important CO2 sink, which can counterbalance the emissions. The source of the water supply considerably influences the irrigation energy consumption and, consequently, the resulting carbon footprint. This study evaluates the potential impact on the carbon footprint of partially and fully replacing the conventional supply from Tagus–Segura water transfer (TSWT) with desalinated seawater (DSW) in the irrigation districts of the Segura River basin (south-eastern Spain). The results provide evidence that the crop GHG emissions depend largely on the water source and, consequently, its carbon footprint. In this sense, in the hypothetical scenario of the TSWT being completely replaced with DSW, GHG emissions may increase by up to 50% and the carbon balance could be reduced by 41%. However, even in this unfavourable situation, irrigated agriculture in the study area could still act as a CO2 sink with a negative total and specific carbon balance of −707,276 t CO2/year and −8.10 t CO2/ha-year, respectively. This study provides significant policy implications for understanding the water–energy–food nexus in water-scarce regions.

Resource Use and Environmental Impacts of Seed and Vegetative Globe Artichoke Production in Mediterranean Environments: A Cradle-to-Farm Gate Analysis

“…The global warming potential for 1 ton of artichokes is reported at 189 kg CO 2 -eq in Sicilia [26], and 860 kgCO 2 -eq in Spain [17]. Martin-Gorriz et al [36] reported that annual GHG emissions were 12.01 tonnes CO 2 ha −1 in Southeast Spain. Solinas et al [37] estimated the carbon footprint of cardoon systems ranging from 140 to 200 kg CO 2 -eq kg ton −1 .…”

Multi-objective optimal design of interbasin water transfers: The Tagus-Segura aqueduct (Spain)

“…The intensely irrigated horticultural and fruit crops are essential to sustain the basin's economy. The export of vegetables and fruits to EU countries can exceed 70% of the total production, so the region has become known as the orchard of Europe (Martin-Gorriz et al, 2021). The TSA enabled the socioeconomic development of southeast Spain (Morote et al, 2020).…”

Water reuse to free up freshwater for higher‐value use and increase climate resilience and water productivity

“…However, the inter-basin transfer continues to experience tensions between the donor and recipient basins, with the first calling for compensation given its own drought sensitivity. Moreover, since the TSA was designed in the late 1960s, adjustments based on more recent climate change predictions are needed, keeping also in mind that an increasing reliance on desalination increases the region's carbon footprint (Martin-Gorriz et al, 2021;Morote et al, 2017).…”