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Global agricultural economic water scarcity
Lorenzo Rosa1, Davide Danilo Chiarelli2, Maria Cristina Rulli2
1Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Science Advances
|June 5, 2020
Summary
Agricultural economic water scarcity limits irrigation in 25% of global croplands, particularly in Africa and Asia. Addressing this can boost food production for 840 million people and conserve water resources.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Hydrology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Water scarcity poses significant threats to global food security and ecosystem health.
- Expanding agriculture into new areas is unsustainable; thus, optimizing irrigation in existing rain-fed croplands is crucial.
- Agricultural economic water scarcity, defined as a lack of irrigation due to economic and institutional limitations, is a poorly understood constraint.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and map global croplands affected by agricultural economic water scarcity.
- To estimate the potential of these regions to increase food production through sustainable irrigation.
Main Methods:
- Development of a monthly agrohydrological analysis model.
- Mapping of agricultural regions experiencing economic water scarcity.
- Assessment of productivity potential in identified regions.
Main Results:
- Regions affected by agricultural economic water scarcity constitute up to 25% of global croplands.
- These regions are predominantly located in Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.
- Sustainable irrigation in these areas could support an additional 840 million people.
Conclusions:
- Agricultural economic water scarcity is a widespread issue with significant implications for global food security.
- Targeted investments in institutional and economic capacity can unlock the irrigation potential of these croplands.
- Sustainable irrigation practices in these regions offer a viable solution to increase food production and mitigate blue water scarcity.
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