Abstract
Within a context of scarce water resources for agriculture, rainwater harvesting constitutes a promising alternative that has been studied by different disciplines in recent years. This article analyses the dynamics of global research on rainwater harvesting for agricultural irrigation over the last two decades. To do this, qualitative systematic analysis and quantitative bibliometric analysis have been carried out. The results reveal that this line of research is becoming increasingly important within research on irrigation. Environmental sciences and agricultural and biological sciences are the most relevant subject areas. Agricultural Water Management, Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, and Irrigation and Drainage are the journals that have published the most articles on the subject. India, China, the United States (USA), South Africa, and the Netherlands are the countries that lead this line of research. Although significant progress has been made in this subject area, it is necessary to increase the number of studies on the capacity of rainwater harvesting systems to cover irrigation needs in different farming contexts, the factors that determine their adoption by farmers, the economic and financial feasibility of their implementation, and their contribution to mitigating global climate change.
Highlights
IntroductionAgricultural ecosystems are the principal suppliers of food, but they are the main consumers of water resources on a global level [2,3]
The supply of food is one of the greatest challenges faced by humankind in the 21st century [1].Agricultural ecosystems are the principal suppliers of food, but they are the main consumers of water resources on a global level [2,3]
The study of rainwater harvesting for agricultural irrigation has become a line of research with increasing relevance within irrigation research
Summary
Agricultural ecosystems are the principal suppliers of food, but they are the main consumers of water resources on a global level [2,3]. These ecosystems use between 60–90% of available water, depending on the climate and economic development of the region [4,5]. The global area dedicated to irrigated crops is estimated at 275 million hectares with an upward growth trend of 1.3% per year [6] This accounts for just 23% of farmed land; 45% of total food production is obtained through these types of crops [7,8]. Water resources are subject to severe degradation due to many factors, such as the consequences of global climate change, rapid population growth, changes in land use, agricultural and urban expansion, the increase in the demand for water from different productive sectors, the inadequate distribution of water resources, regional hydropolitical conditions, the deterioration of the quality of water due to overexploitation, rainwater scarcity, and the high rate of evaporation and aridity resulting from the increase in temperatures [12,13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
