Water Savings Through Improved Irrigation Techniques: Basin-Scale Quantification in Semi-Arid Environments

Törnqvist, Rebecka; Jarsjö, Jerker

doi:10.1007/s11269-011-9819-9

Cited by 60 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…The evidence of the empirical and theoretical literature review suggest that when traditional surface (furrow) systems are replaced by sprinkler and drip irrigation, water abstraction (use) is reduced in a significant number of studies, among others in: Jackson et al 2010;López-Gunn et al 2012;García-Mollá et al 2013;Soto-García et al 2013;Graveline et al 2013;Heumesser et al 2012;Törnqvist and Jarsjö 2012;Peterson and Ding 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Literature Review on Rebound Effect of Water Saving Measures and Analysis of a Spanish Case Study

Berbel

Gutiérrez‐Martín

Díaz

et al. 2014

Water Resour Manage

185

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POST-PRINT VERSION AbstractThe hypothesis of a rebound effect as a consequence of water saving investments is taken analogically from the Jevons paradox models in energy economics. The European Commission (EC) alert about the consequences in water stressed regions that are investing heavily in modernization of irrigation networks and systems. This paper reviews the literature, linking water savings with water diversion and water depletion, both from theoretical models and empirical evidence from the published research. In order to increase knowledge of this phenomenon, a new empirical case study is presented based on a survey of 36,000 ha of recently modernized irrigated areas in the Guadalquivir basin (southern Spain). The results of the case study illustrates the conditions that may avoid rebound effect, although the results of the available empirical evidence and the published theoretical research are diverse and lead to contradictory results. Further research is therefore needed to determine the causes and solutions of water saving investment impacts and the possible speculative rebound effect.Keywords: Water conservation; Jevons paradox; Rebound effect; Water pricing; Water use; Water consumption; Spain Highlights The present study analyzes the theoretical and empirical evidence that water saving investments may lead to increased water use and/or consumption. Some authors suggest that if irrigated land expansion is not constrained, increased water abstractions are likely to occur. When land expansion is constrained and water rights are controlled, water depletion does not increase. The results of published research are diverse and have yielded contradictory results regarding the rebound effect as a consequence of water saving investments.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Literature Review on Rebound Effect of Water Saving Measures and Analysis of a Spanish Case Study

Berbel

Gutiérrez‐Martín

Díaz

et al. 2014

Water Resour Manage

185

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The water flow routines of the PCRaster-based Polflow model (De Wit 2001) were used to quantify the changes in river discharge from projected future climate change. The distributed hydrological PCRaster model has previously been used to model hydro-climatic responses in the ASDB and other catchments (Shibuo et al 2007;Destouni et al 2010;Jarsjö et al 2012;Törnqvist and Jarsjö 2012;Asokan et al 2010). The model is based on a water balance approach of Q = P -ET -DS, where DS is the storage change which is assumed to be negligible on the considered longterm basis.…”

Section: Hydrological Modelingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Water losses in inefficient irrigation and distribution systems, characterized by furrow irrigation and open distribution channels, then need to be reduced by improving irrigation techniques and infrastructure (Bekchanov et al 2016). For instance, it has been estimated that a basin-wide improvement of irrigation methods could lead to water savings of 1 km 3 year -1 or more in the Aral Sea Drainage Basin (Törnqvist and Jarsjö 2012). Water can additionally be saved by reducing the water-demanding cultivation of cotton and rice to the benefit of, e.g., tree plantations and cultivation of maize, melon, mung bean, potato and vegetables (Bobojonov et al 2013;Djanibekov et al 2013).…”

Section: Changing Regional Climatementioning

confidence: 99%

“…1a), which is large and extensive enough to be well resolved by general circulation models (GCMs). The region has been subject to large-scale irrigation development (e.g., Rakhmatullaev et al 2010;Törnqvist and Jarsjö 2012), with the irrigation area increasing from 2.5 million ha in 1910 to 7.4 million ha in 1990. This has resulted in hydrological changes at scales that thus far are unprecedented in the world, with drastic discharge decreases in the principal Amu Darya and Syr Darya Rivers, drying of the Aral Sea and water quality deterioration including salinization of the region's water sources (Jarsjö and Destouni 2004;Shibuo et al 2006;Micklin 2007;Johansson et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a result, 3,650,000 ha was irrigated by 47 km 3 diverted river water in the year of 2000 (Aus Der Beek et al 2011). Cotton and wheat are the dominant crops in the irrigated fields, which in turn are dominated by relatively water-inefficient furrow irrigation practices where significant water losses occur as water is led to the fields in open channels and is distributed over the fields in trenches between rows of crops (e.g., Törnqvist and Jarsjö 2012). Before the irrigation expansion, the average river discharge at the outlet of the basin was 70 km 3 year -1 (Crosa et al 2006;Törnqvist et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Climate-driven change of nitrogen retention–attenuation near irrigated fields: multi-model projections for Central Asia

Jarsjö

Törnqvist

2017

Environ Earth Sci

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Agricultural intensification in semiarid regions comes at a cost of relatively high water losses through evapotranspiration and can contribute to releases of nutrients and pesticides that affect downstream water quality. In addition, highly managed river basins may be particularly sensitive to future climate change. However, effects on retention-attenuation of nutrients are difficult to quantify due to the complexity and variability of relevant processes. We here use the example case of the large (covering 1.3% of the earth's land surface) and extensively irrigated Aral Sea Drainage Basin (ASDB) in Central Asia, together with 73 general circulation model (GCM) projection results and field-data driven nitrogen retention-attenuation modeling, to investigate to which extent projected future climate change (for years 2025, 2050 and 2100) can influence nitrogen loads and concentrations in the water systems of the basin. Results for the principal Amu Darya River of the ASDB suggest that riverine concentrations of nitrogen will decrease considerably throughout the coming century. This is due to projected climate-related decreases in runoff and river discharge, which increases internal nitrogen recirculation ratios, average transport distances and nitrogen retention-attenuation. However, in groundwater near the agricultural fields, there is in contrast a risk of considerable nitrogen accumulation. More generally, the sensitivity of nitrogen concentrations in the ADRB to climate-driven changes in runoff and discharge is likely to be shared with many highly managed basins in arid and semiarid regions of Central Asia, and the world.

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Irrigation Effects on Hydro-Climatic Change: Basin-Wise Water Balance-Constrained Quantification and Cross-Regional Comparison

Asokan

Destouni

2013

The Earth's Hydrological Cycle

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Water Savings Through Improved Irrigation Techniques: Basin-Scale Quantification in Semi-Arid Environments

Cited by 60 publications

References 42 publications

Literature Review on Rebound Effect of Water Saving Measures and Analysis of a Spanish Case Study

Literature Review on Rebound Effect of Water Saving Measures and Analysis of a Spanish Case Study

Climate-driven change of nitrogen retention–attenuation near irrigated fields: multi-model projections for Central Asia

Irrigation Effects on Hydro-Climatic Change: Basin-Wise Water Balance-Constrained Quantification and Cross-Regional Comparison

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