Assessment of water footprint for a few major crops in Banas River Basin of Rajasthan

Abstract

Water security is essential for socio-economic development, ecosystem management, and environmental sustainability. An improved understanding of the relationships between water demand and supply is needed to mitigate the impacts of diminishing water resources. The present study aimed to assess the crop water footprint of sixteen major crops in the basin namely, bajra/ pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), cotton (Gossypium herbaceum L.), gram/chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.), guar/cluster beans (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.), jowar/ sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.), lentil/ masoor (Lens culinaris L.), maize (Zea mays L.), mungbean (Vigna radiata L.), rapeseed & mustard (Brassica napus L.), rice/paddy (Oryza sativa L.), sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), soybean (Glycine max L.), urad/ black gram (Vigna mungo L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was estimated during 2008-2020 in the Banas river basin of Rajasthan. The average annual water footprint of crop production varied from 11365.8-23131.5 MCM/yr (Mean 19254.5 MCM/yr) during the study period. Wheat, bajra, maize, rapeseed & mustard make up 67.4 % of the total average annual water footprint of crop production. The blue water footprint of crop production was 3942.1 MCM/yr, with wheat, rapeseed & mustard accounting for almost 87.0 % of the average annual blue water footprint. Blue, green and grey water footprints comprised 20.8, 69.7 and 9.5 % of the total WF of crop production in the basin, respectively. This assessment can play a significant role in developing better policies for properly managing water footprints for sustainable crop production in the basin.