Sustainable irrigation and climate feedbacks

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Agricultural Science
• Climate Science

Background:

• Agricultural irrigation is a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, both directly from soils and indirectly via energy use and infrastructure development.
• Climate change influences irrigation demand, water availability, and the GHG intensity of energy used for irrigation.
• These interconnected factors create complex feedback loops within agricultural and climate systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review synthesizing knowledge on the linkages between agricultural irrigation and climate change.
• To elaborate on how climate change may drive future irrigation expansion and reinforce positive feedback loops.
• To underscore the urgent need for sustainable irrigation strategies.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review methodology was employed.
• Knowledge was synthesized across diverse scientific fields to establish irrigation-climate linkages.
• Emphasis was placed on identifying and analyzing feedback mechanisms.

Main Results:

• The review confirms that agricultural irrigation directly and indirectly contributes to GHG emissions.
• Climate change is increasingly impacting irrigation demands and water resource availability.
• Strong positive feedback loops exist where irrigation expansion and climate change reinforce each other.

Conclusions:

• There is an urgent need to promote and adopt sustainable irrigation practices globally.
• Regions with strong positive irrigation-climate feedbacks require particular attention.
• Addressing these linkages is crucial for climate change mitigation and adaptation in agriculture.