Abstract
It is estimated that at least one quarter of the world’s population will be affected by water shortages in the coming years and by 2030 there will be a global water deficit of 40% if urgent action is not taken. Currently, the main consumer of water globally is agriculture. In addition, it has been estimated that to meet the demand for food by 2050, the water available for agricultural irrigation would have to increase by 70%. In this context, wastewater could become a relevant water resource to meet this growing demand. This article aims to show the state of the global research on sustainable use of wastewater in agriculture. To this end, a systematic qualitative analysis and a quantitative bibliometric analysis were conducted. The search was carried out for the period 2000–2019, and the analyzed sample comprised 1986 articles. The results show that this line of research is one of the most outstanding within agriculture and has gained special relevance during the last five years. Research has improved significantly at a technical level, but problems such as energy consumption, and the elimination of heavy metals and elements of chemical and pharmacological products, still need to be refined. There is a particular lack of contributions covering social aspects. This article can serve as a reference for both researchers and stakeholders interested in this topic.
Highlights
Water is an indispensable resource, for the existence of all life, and for economic development and the maintenance of social welfare [1,2]
The availability of water resources is decreasing due to the overexploitation and contamination of water sources, and the alteration of natural ecosystems by humans, among other reasons [11,12]
There are increasingly more regions of the world in which the supply of water resources is at risk or non-existent [1,7,13]
Summary
Water is an indispensable resource, for the existence of all life, and for economic development and the maintenance of social welfare [1,2]. Water resources are facing great pressure and degradation due to multiple factors, such as the rapid growth of the global population, changes in land use, the expansion of productive activities (e.g., agricultural, industrial, and tourism activities), and urban development [3,4]. Over the last few decades, water demands have increased exponentially, with an estimated average annual increase of 1% in water consumption globally from 1980 to the present [5,6]. This demand trend is expected to continue until 2050, with a projected increase of 20–30% from the current level within a few years [7,8]. It is estimated that at least one quarter of the world’s population will be affected by water shortages in the coming years and that by 2030 there will be a global water deficit of 40% if urgent action is not taken [15,16]
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