Water-saving strategies for irrigation agriculture in Saudi Arabia

Multsch, Sebastian; Alquwaizany, Abdulaziz S.; Alharbi, Obaid Aziz; Pahlow, Markus; Frede, Hans‐Georg

doi:10.1080/07900627.2016.1168286

Cited by 15 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…In this study, the Nitrate (N) was the representative pollutant, and α was valued at 10% flat rate based on the study of Hoekstra and Chapagain [ 8 ]. Subsequently, C nat was considered as being equal to zero and C max as being equal to 11.5 mg l -1 as per the Saudi water quality standards [ 27 ]. The magnitude of N leaching, however, depends on soil conditions (irrigation frequency, rainfall pattern, soil texture, percolation rate, etc.)…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies have been accomplished, at the national level, on the use of water for crop production, municipal water consumption and the flow of water in countries, such as China [ 19 , 20 ], India [ 18 ], the Netherlands [ 21 ], the UK [ 22 ], Indonesia [ 23 ] and Nepal [ 24 ]. However, such studies are very limited in Saudi Arabia [ 25 – 27 ], and are not available even at the level of fields or farms, which are experiencing dynamic climates, scarce water reserves, and limited rainfall.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Utilization of Landsat-8 data for the estimation of carrot and maize crop water footprint under the arid climate of Saudi Arabia

et al. 2018

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The crop Water Footprint (WF) can provide a comprehensive knowledge of the use of water through the demarcation of the amount of the water consumed by different crops. The WF has three components: green (WFg), blue (WFb) and grey (WFgr) water footprints. The WFg refers to the rainwater stored in the root zone soil layer and is mainly utilized for agricultural, horticultural and forestry production. The WFb, however, is the consumptive use of water from surface or groundwater resources and mainly deals with irrigated agriculture, industry, domestic water use, etc. While the WFgr is the amount of fresh water required to assimilate pollutants resulting from the use of fertilizers/agrochemicals. This study was conducted on six agricultural fields in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia, during the period from December 2015 to December 2016, to investigate the spatiotemporal variation of the WF of silage maize and carrot crops. The WF of each crop was estimated in two ways, namely agro-meteorological (WFAgro) and remote sensing (WFRS) methods. The blue, green and grey components of WFAgro were computed with the use of weather station/Eddy covariance measurements and field recorded crop yield datasets. The WFRS estimated by applying surface energy balance principles on Landsat-8 imageries. However, due to non-availability of Landsat-8 data on the event of rainy days, this study was limited to blue component (WFRS-b). The WFAgro of silage maize was found to range from 3545 m3 t-1 to 4960 m3 t-1; on an average, the WFAgro-g, WFAgro-b, and WFAgro-gr are composed of < 1%, 77%, and 22%, respectively. In the case of carrot, the WFAgro ranged between 297 m3 t-1 and 502 m3 t-1. The WFAgro-g of carrot crop was estimated at <1%, while WFAgro-b and WFAgro-gr was 67% and 32%, respectively. The WFAgro-b is occupied as a major portion in WF of silage maize (77%) and carrot (68%) crops. This is due to the high crop water demand combined with a very erratic rainfall, the irrigation is totally provided using groundwater delivered by center pivot irrigation systems. On the other hand, the WFRS-b estimated using Landsat-8 data was varied from 276 (±73) m3 t-1 (carrot) and 2885 (±441) m3 t-1 (silage maize). The variation (RMSE) between WFRS-b and WFAgro-b was about 17% and 14% for silage maize and carrot crops, respectively.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Utilization of Landsat-8 data for the estimation of carrot and maize crop water footprint under the arid climate of Saudi Arabia

et al. 2018

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“…Salinization of surface freshwater bodies owing to human activities is a critical water quality issue in the Arab region (Damania et al, 2019), with detrimental consequences for human health, ecosystems, and agriculture. Hot spots of surface water salinization include the Mesopotamian Marshes (Al‐Mudaffar Fawzi et al, 2016), Shatt al‐Arab River (Al‐Mudaffar Fawzi & Mahdi, 2014), Jordan Valley (Farber et al, 2005), and increasingly the Nile basin (Multsch, Alquwaizany et al, 2017). In addition, groundwater salinization due to overexploitation affects the coastal aquifer in Gaza (Dentoni et al, 2015), the Wadi Ham in the UAE (Sherif et al, 2012), the Nile Delta (Molle et al, 2018; Sefelnasr & Sherif, 2014), and the Sfax aquifer in Tunisia (Trabelsi et al, 2016), among others.…”

Section: Water Issues Facing the Arab Regionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tackling the Trickle: Ensuring Sustainable Water Management in the Arab Region

et al. 2020

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Water scarcity in the Arab region is intensifying due to population growth, economic development, and the impacts of climate change. It is manifested in groundwater depletion, freshwater ecosystem degradation, deteriorating water quality, low levels of water storage per capita, and added pressures on transboundary water resources. High-income Arab countries have sought to circumvent the ever-present challenges of water scarcity through agricultural imports (virtual water trade), desalination, and, increasingly, wastewater reuse. In this review article, we argue that the narrative of water scarcity and supply-side technological fixes masks more systemic issues that threaten sustainable water management, including underperforming water utilities, protracted armed conflict and displacement, agricultural policies aimed at self-sufficiency, evolving food consumption behaviors, the future of energy markets, and educational policy. Water management challenges, particularly on the demand side, and responses in the Arab region cannot be understood in isolation from these broader regional and international political and socioeconomic trends. Recognizing the complex and interdependent challenges of water management is the first step in reforming approaches and shifting to more sustainable development outcomes and stability in the Arab region and beyond.

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“…To overcome these problems, the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture (MEWA) developed its "Strategic plan 2030" to maintain sustainable water management by increasing water awareness, supporting infrastructure projects in the water sector, reducing the domestic production of water-intensive crops, promoting the adoption of sustainable water management among farmers, and ensuring compliance with water legislation and laws [43,50].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adoption of Sustainable Water Management Practices among Farmers in Saudi Arabia

Alotaibi

Kassem

2021

Sustainability

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Promoting sustainable water management (SWM) practices among farmers is essential in order to ensure water sustainability. This study aimed to analyze patterns in the adoption of SWM practices by farmers at the farm level, and how their awareness regarding the causes of agricultural water pollution influence SWM adoption. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect field data using structured questionnaires from 129 farmers in the Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia. The results indicate that 38.8% of farmers had a high awareness of the causes of water pollution from agriculture. Approximately half of the farmers exhibited a high rate of adoption of SWM practices, most of whom adopted water quality and soil management practices. The findings reveal a positive association (0.37, p < 0.01) between SWM adoption and awareness regarding water pollution caused by agriculture, whereby the farmers with more awareness regarding the causes of water pollution from agriculture showed a higher level of adoption for 55% of the SWM practices. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the awareness levels regarding the causes of agricultural water pollution and cultivated crops significantly influenced the adoption of SWM by farmers. The findings and implications provide an understanding of the SWM practices of farmers, and offers insights for policymakers aiming to reformulate strategies and policies combatting water scarcity in Saudi Arabia.

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Water-saving strategies for irrigation agriculture in Saudi Arabia

Cited by 15 publications

References 39 publications

Utilization of Landsat-8 data for the estimation of carrot and maize crop water footprint under the arid climate of Saudi Arabia

Utilization of Landsat-8 data for the estimation of carrot and maize crop water footprint under the arid climate of Saudi Arabia

Tackling the Trickle: Ensuring Sustainable Water Management in the Arab Region

Adoption of Sustainable Water Management Practices among Farmers in Saudi Arabia

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