Abstract
Studying the relationship between agricultural irrigation water requirements (IWR) and water supply is significant for optimizing the sustainable management of water resources in Tarim River Basin (TRB). However, the related studies have not quantified the total IWR and the imbalance of irrigation water supply and requirements in the TRB. The study analyzed the spatial-temporal variations of IWR by a modified Penman–Monteith (PM) method during 1990–2015. Five major crops—rice, wheat, maize, cotton, and fruit trees—are chosen for calculating the IWR. It was found that the IWR increased significantly, from 193.14 × 108 m3 in 1990 to 471.89 × 108 m3 in 2015, for a total increase of 278.74 × 108 m3. For the first period (1990–2002), the total IWR remained stable at 200 × 108 m3 but started to increase from 2003 onwards. Significantly more irrigation water was consumed in the oasis regions of the Tienshan Mountains (southern slope) and the Yarkand River (plains). Furthermore, there was an intensified conflict between IWR and water supply in the major sub-basins. The ratios of IWR to river discharge (IWR/Q) for the Weigan-Kuqa River Basin (WKRB), Aksu River Basin (ARB), Kaxgar River Basin (KGRB), and Yarkand River Basin (YRB) were 0.93, 0.68, 1.05, and 0.79, respectively. The IWR/Q experienced serious annual imbalances, as high flows occurred in July and August, whereas critical high IWR occurred in May and June. Seasonal water shortages further aggravate the water stress in the arid region.
Highlights
Water is important in the extreme arid region, especially for agriculture [1]
We are convinced our findings offer a theoretical basis to improve water resources management in the Tarim River Basin (TRB)
The study is based on the Mann–Kendall test to reveal that the annual crop water requirements (CWR) of the five crops showed an increasing trend from 1990 to 2015, especially for fruit trees and cotton
Summary
Water is important in the extreme arid region, especially for agriculture [1]. The extremely arid Tarim River Basin (TRB) has experienced significant warming over the past few decades [2]. Global warming has greatly affected the distribution and circulation of water resources in the region and exacerbated already serious water crisis [3]. Because the TRB is an important cotton and fruit-producing region, water resources has become a constraining factor in local agricultural production. With the expansion of crop cultivation and a subsequent rapid increase in the use of irrigation water requirements (IWR), the region’s scant water supplies have been seriously squeezed and a large amount of groundwater has been extracted [8]. It is crucial to optimize water resources management in the region in order to realize sustainable development
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