Abstract
The aim of this review is to present a holistic view on irrigation with respect to local environmental and social conditions. Future irrigation development is addressed with a focus on sustainable development. However, technical irrigation aspects are included and references are provided for further reading and completeness. An irrigation intervention is always a combination of feasible technical, social and environmental aspects. This review provides an overview of the various fields of expertise involved in irrigation interventions and contributes to cross-discipline discussions and understanding. The selected cases demonstrate the bias of human developments and they serve to raise awareness of the impact of human interventions. The practical examples refer mainly to the authors’ project experiences and were selected so as to support pathways for sustainable irrigation development. Placing modern irrigation in relation to sustainable development goals needs a sophisticated holistic approach.
Highlights
The natural resources soil and water are under increasing pressure worldwide; the protection of the natural environment must have the highest priority in order to secure adequate food for all and enable sufficient income and living conditions for ensuing generations
The aim of this review is to present a holistic view on irrigation with respect to local environmental and social conditions
This review provides an overview of the various fields of expertise involved in irrigation interventions and contributes to cross-discipline discussions and understanding
Summary
The natural resources soil and water are under increasing pressure worldwide; the protection of the natural environment must have the highest priority in order to secure adequate food for all and enable sufficient income and living conditions for ensuing generations. During the long period since various irrigation methods have been developed and have reached a sophisticated level, especially in terms of technical performance and water applications with respect to plant water requirement. This irrigation development was accompanied by both successes and failures, as is documented by many authors. Trajectory [18] and water accounting studies [19] describe the course of water utilization in the past, telling us why the situation is like it is at the present stage Building on this knowledge, a sensitivity analysis of different scenarios may lead to an insight into how a specific decision will most likely affect future development. In the opinion of the authors, a proper water potential analysis is indispensable for any irrigation intervention, especially in view of sustainability
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