Irrigation Demand Research Articles

Quantifying irrigation water demand and supply gap using remote sensing and GIS in Multan, Pakistan.

Human interventions and rapid changes in land use adversely affect the adequate distribution of water resources. A research study was conducted to quantify the gap between demand and supply for irrigation water in Multan, Pakistan, which may lead to sustainable water management. Two remotely sensed images (Landsat 8 OLI and Landsat 5 TM) were downloaded for the years 2010 and 2020, and supervised classification method was performed for the selected land use land cover (LULC) classes and basic framework. During the evaluation, the kappa coefficient was found in the ranges of 0.83-0.85, and overall accuracy was found to be more than 80% which indicated a substantial agreement between the classified maps and the ground truth data for both years and seasons. The LULC maps showed that urbanization has increased by 49% during the last decade (2010-2020). Reduction in planting areas for wheat (9%), cotton (24%), and orchards (46%) was observed. An increase in planting areas for rice (92%) and sugarcane (63%) was observed. The changing LULC pattern may be related to variation in water demand and supply for irrigation. The irrigation water demand has decreased by 370.2 Mm3 from 2010 to 2020, due to the reduction in agricultural land and an increase in urbanization. Available irrigation water supply (canals/rainfall) was estimated as 2432 Mm3 for the year 2020 which was 26% less than that of total irrigation water demand (3281 Mm3). The findings also provide the database for sustainable water management and equitable distribution of water in the region.

Impact of biochar amendments on soil water and plant uptake dynamics under different cropping systems

AbstractApplication of biochar amendments in agricultural systems has received much attention in recent years. In this study, we assess the 5‐year impacts of biochar application on soil water and plant interactions for an irrigated fresh market tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and a rainfed pasture (Poaceae) cropping system. In particular, we focus on three varieties of locally produced biochar from agricultural waste materials—almond shell, walnut shell, and almond pruning residues that are pyrolyzed using a mobile pyrolysis unit. We used the soil hydrological model HYDRUS‐1D to explicitly track seasonal and annual soil water fluxes through changes in water retention, drainage, evaporation, and plant water uptake under biochar application. Modeling results show that the application of biochar at 5% increased soil water availability within the top 20 cm for a rainfed system, irrespective of biochar amendment type. This is clearly indicative of higher plant water uptake and greater water use efficiency (WUE) under biochar application. In contrast, a similar biochar amendment for the irrigated system did not affect WUE, instead reducing seasonal soil evaporation loss and thereby reducing irrigation demand. In both cropping systems, year‐to‐year variability in precipitation significantly impacted the total amount of water saved under biochar application with certain amendments retaining more water than others. Given that biochar application increased water retention irrespective of cropping systems, we further used a simple approach to determine yield trade‐off, if any, between control and biochar treatments. Our economic balance clearly demonstrates that the water saved by amending soil with biochar does not offset the yield disparity if compensated with carbon credits and therefore, application of biochar should be actively considered for both its direct and indirect benefits to potential greenhouse gas mitigation (e.g., diverting orchard waste from open burning), water savings, and soil health.

Simulation of Interaction Between Groundwater and Surface Water in Safwan-Zubair Area, South of Iraq

Simulation of Interaction Between Groundwater and Surface Water in Safwan-Zubair Area, South of Iraq

Irrigation demand model for open field vegetable crops based on artificial neural networks

Irrigation demand model for open field vegetable crops based on artificial neural networks

Optimizing Rice Irrigation Strategies to Maximize Water Productivity: A Simulation Study Using AquaCrop Model for the Yanyun Irrigation District, Yangzhou, China

The AquaCrop model is used to predict rice yield in response to different irrigation management in the Yanyun irrigation area in Yangzhou, China, and the constraints to rice production were identified to maximize water productivity based on model simulations. The model was calibrated by comparing measured and predicted canopy cover (CC), yield, and soil water content during the growing season in 2018. The results showed that, for CC simulations, R2 was 0.99, RMSE was 3.6%, and NRMSE was 5.3%; for Biomass simulation, RMSE was 0.50 t/ha, and NRMSE was 5.3%. Different irrigation strategies were analyzed for a long-term simulation period from 1955 to 2014. The simulated rice yield increased rapidly as irrigation demand increased initially, and then gradually stabilized. The simulated rice yield fluctuated in the different years. The Pearson type-III model method was used to identify different hydrological years of wet, normal, and dry years. The analysis identified the wet year as 1991, normal year as 1981, and dry year as 1966. In the different rainfall years (1991, 1981, and 1966) water use efficiency (WUE), water productivity (WPet), and irrigation water productivity (IWP) were utilized to determine the irrigation strategy. The predicted highest WPet in the wet year was 1.77kg m−3, while the lowest WPet in the dry year was 1.13 kg m−3. The highest IWP was 19.78 kg m−3 in the wet year, and 9.32 kg m−3 in the normal year; while the lowest IWP in the dry year was 1.90 kg m−3. IWP was significantly higher in the rainy year, while WUE was significantly lower. On the other hand, WPet was more extensive in the wet year because the yield was higher, and the Evapotranspiration (ET) was smaller in comparison to the dry year.

Groundwater Markets in South Asia: A Bibliometric Assessment of Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Irrigation Development

Uninhibited drafting and plummeting groundwater levels have entailed a slew of eco-environmental and socio-economic crises across vast swathes of South Asia, leading to social turmoil over the demand-supply gap in the irrigation sector. We adopted a mixed-method approach, combining systematic bibliometric assessment with contextual analysis, to highlight to the regional water authorities (RWAs) the core tenets of groundwater markets (GWMs), already operating in various capacities and forms in different parts of South Asia, as a potential option to address the crisis. GWMs, occurring along a farmer-water-irrigation continuum, have mixed impacts on groundwater-dependent socio-ecologies, ranging from beneficial to counter-productive. Given the dire projections of groundwater depletion in the near future and the inadequacy of the state machineries to meet surging irrigation demand, a critical policy question that we approached in this narrative was: Can GWMs be institutionalized as a regulatory tool for ‘supply-side’ management of irrigation resources? To that end, we helped RWAs grow a deeper understanding of the complexity and interdisciplinarity associated with the vast network of actors and agencies interlocked within GWMs. By the same token, we urged the RWAs to consider a collective space—potentially in the form of a groundwater users’ association (GWUA)—as a prerequisite to imagining GWMs in an institutional mould. We present a critique of current world experiences with GWUAs and reflect on the socio-environmental barriers to establishing a functional GWUA. We outline tentative means for RWAs to build credibility and increase acceptability of GUWAs at the grassroots, including capacity building, value-based standard operating procedures and harnessing solidarity and social responsibility. In conclusion, we offer RWAs a simple system of a ‘reality’ check, to evaluate the ground conditions and feasibility of contemplating GWMs in the first place.

Assessing downstream aquatic habitat availability relative to headwater reservoir management in the Henrys Fork Snake River

AbstractReservoirs are sometimes managed to meet agricultural and other water demands, while also maintaining streamflow for aquatic species and ecosystems. In the Henrys Fork Snake River, Idaho (USA), irrigation‐season management of a headwater reservoir is informed by a flow target in a management reach ~95 km downstream. The target is in place to meet irrigation demand and maintain aquatic habitat within the 11.4 km management reach and has undergone four flow target assignments from 1978 to 2021. Recent changes to irrigation‐season management to maximize reservoir carryover warranted investigation into the flow target assignment. Thus, we created a streamflow‐habitat model using hydraulic measurements, habitat unit mapping, and published habitat suitability criteria for Brown Trout (Salmo trutta), Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and Mountain Whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni). We used model output to compare habitat availability across two management regimes (1978–2017 and 2018–2021). We found that efforts to minimize reservoir releases in 2018–2021 did not reduce mean irrigation‐season fish habitat relative to natural flow, but did reduce overall fish habitat variability during the irrigation season compared to streamflow management in 1978–2017. Field observations for this research led to an adjusted flow target in 2020 that moved the target location downstream of intervening irrigation diversions. Using our model output, we demonstrated that moving the location of the target to account for local irrigation diversions will contribute to more consistently suitable fish habitat in the reach. Our study demonstrates the importance of site selection for establishing environmental flow targets.

Potential Effects of Climate Change on Agricultural Water Resources in Riyadh Region, Saudi Arabia

The water supply in Saudi Arabia is already depleted. Climate change will exacerbate the demand for these resources. This paper examines how climate change affects the water demands of Saudi Arabia’s most important food crops: wheat, clover, vegetables, and dates. To reduce the adverse climate change impacts on these crops’ productivity, as well as their irrigation water requirements (IWR), a number of adaptation techniques were investigated. The study was carried out for the Ar Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia, with a cultivated area of 179,730 ha. In this study, five climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) for two Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs), SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5, were used to forecast and investigate the potential impacts of climate change on agricultural water resources in the Al-Riyadh Region of Saudi Arabia. To simulate IWRs under the present and projected climate change scenarios, CROPWAT8.0 was used. The results showed that the maximum increase ratio in 2100 under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5, respectively, will be 4.46% and 12.11% higher than in the current case (2020). The results showed that the projected maximum temperatures in 2100 will be increased by 4.46% and 12.11%, respectively, under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5, compared to the current case (2020), supporting past research on the Arabian Peninsula that revealed that both short- and long-term temperature increases are anticipated to be considerable. Under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5, the projected ETo was found to be increased by 2.18% and 6.35% in 2100, respectively. Given that evapotranspiration closely mirrors the temperature behavior in the study region from June to August, our data suggest that crop and irrigation demand may increase in the mid to long term. The findings indicate that Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital and commercial hub, will require more water to irrigate agricultural land because of the expanding ETo trend. Under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5, the projected growth irrigation water requirement (GIWR) will be increased by 3.1% and 6.7% in 2100, respectively. Under SSP5-8.5, crop areas of wheat, clover, dates, maize, citrus, tomato, potato, and other vegetables in Ar Riyadh will decrease by 6.56%, 7.17%, 5.90%, 6.43%, 5.47%, 6.99%, 5.21%, and 5.5%, respectively, in 2100. Conversely, under SSP2-4.5, the crop areas will decrease by 3.10%, 3.67%, 2.35%, 3.83%, 2.32%, 4.18%, 1.72%, and 2.38% in 2100, respectively. This research could aid in clarifying the adverse climate change impacts on GIWR in Ar Riyad, as well as improving water resource management planning.

Evaluating the impact of projected CO2, temperature, and rainfall change on groundwater resources in a rice–wheat dominated cropping region of northwestern India

Abstract Increasing CO2 concentration, temperature rise, and changes in rainfall due to climate change are expected to influence groundwater resources in irrigated agricultural regions. A simulation study using AquaCrop and MODFLOW models was undertaken to assess the combined effects of increasing CO2 concentrations, temperature, and rainfall changes on groundwater behavior in a rice–wheat cropping region of northwest India. Simulations were carried out for the 2016–2099 period under two scenarios: increasing CO2 concentrations corresponding to different RCPs (Scenario-I) and at a constant CO2 concentration of 369.4 ppm (Scenario-II). The results indicate that elevated CO2 negates the effect of rising temperature on evapotranspiration (ET) and water demand, and thus, lower ET is simulated under Scenario-I than Scenario-II for different RCPs during the future periods. The lower projected ET resulted in lower rice (2.3%–6.3%) and wheat (1.4%–16.1%) irrigation demand under Scenario-I than under Scenario-II. Of all RCPs, the lowest groundwater level (GWL) decline of 9.2, 20.5, and 24.4 m from the reference GWL (18.85 m) at the end of the early, mid-, and end-century periods, respectively, is projected under RCP8.5 and Scenario-I. Simulation results indicate that CO2 concentration plays an important role while assessing climate change effects on groundwater in irrigated agricultural systems.

Policy Note: Why Irrigation Water Pricing is Difficult

Could irrigation water pricing be reformed so that the practice of irrigation is less harmful? Answering this question requires insights into how water pricing reform works for different irrigators/crops each with its own price elasticity of irrigation water demand and water supply, and into the political complexity of irrigation water pricing reform. In particular, the full benefits and costs associated with irrigation are an important, but often inadequately understood, element in irrigation water pricing reform. In this paper, these insights are investigated using the theoretical concepts of supply and demand. It is shown that the market cannot provide the full benefits from irrigation and ignores the full costs. It is also shown that the shape of the irrigation water supply and demand schedules, the current equilibrium position and the size of the charge required to get to a socially optimum position all work against irrigation water pricing as a tool that can be used to reduce demand. These concepts can be used to assess the implications of irrigation pricing reform comprehensively, explicitly and consistently, so that the implicit subsidies and externalities become visible.

Adapting to Climate-Change-Induced Drought Stress to Improve Water Management in Southeast Vietnam

In Southeast Vietnam, droughts have become more frequent, causing significant damage and impacting the region’s socio-economic development. Water shortages frequently affect the industrial and agricultural sectors in the area. This study aims to calculate the water balance and the resilience of existing water resource allocations in the La Nga-Luy River basin based on two scenarios: (1) business-as-usual and (2) following a sustainable development approach. The MIKE NAM and MIKE HYDRO BASIN models were used for rainfall–runoff (R-R) and water balance modeling, respectively, and the Keetch–Byram Drought Index (KBDI) was used to estimate the magnitude of the droughts. The results identified areas within the Nga-Luy River basin where abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions are common, as well as subbasins, i.e., in the southeast and northeast, where severe and extreme droughts often prevail. It was also shown that the water demand for the irrigation of the winter–spring and summer–autumn crop life cycles could be fully met under abnormally dry conditions. This possibility decreases to 85–100% during moderate droughts, however. In contrast, 65% and 45–50% of the water demand for irrigation is met for the winter–spring and summer–autumn crop life cycles, respectively, during severe and extreme droughts. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that the water demand for irrigation could still be met 100% and 75–80% of the time during moderate, and extreme or severe droughts, respectively, through increased water use efficiency. This study could help managers to rationally regulate water in order to meet the agricultural sector’s needs in the region and reduce the damage and costs caused by droughts.

Assessment of the impact of irrigation management on soybean yield and water productivity in a subhumid environment

As an effect of climate change, a considerable increase in irrigation demand is expected in subhumid regions. This poses a future challenge for agriculture, which often does not meet the requirements for highly efficient irrigation management. Field experiments in combination with modelling approaches can help in the development and evaluation of alternative irrigation strategies. The aim of this study was to parameterize the FAO AquaCrop model for soybeans in order to evaluate irrigation systems and strategies used by farmers in Austria. Moreover, this study aims at proposing a deficit irrigation strategy to increase irrigation water productivity (WPIrrig). Three irrigation methods were investigated: sprinkler, drip, and hose reel boom. Rainfed conditions were also assessed. Data sets from 2018 and 2019 were used for the parameterization of AquaCrop. Based on threshold values for the percentage of readily available water (RAW), full and deficit irrigation strategies were defined and tested for the years 1990–2019. The parameterization results showed good agreement between the simulated and observed canopy cover and yields from the four water management practices, with Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficients between 0.76 and 0.96. Large errors resulted from the soil water content simulations, mainly due to poor sensor performance. It was concluded that a moderate deficit with RAW thresholds of 150% and 140% for the vegetative and reproductive stages, respectively, was an adequate strategy to improve yields and WPIrrig. Conversely, a severe deficit with an irrigation threshold of 180% RAW throughout the season considerably reduced yields, especially in years with high irrigation demand. Moreover, a significant improvement in WPIrrig was observed when drip systems were used compared to sprinklers, due to the higher efficiency of the former. These results can help scheduling irrigation for soybeans and increasing WPIrrig, thereby reducing pressure on limited water resources.

Quantifying agricultural productive use of energy load in Sub-Saharan Africa and its impact on microgrid configurations and costs

The use of advanced energy technologies for agricultural purposes—such as irrigation, refrigeration, crop processing, and egg incubation—has the potential to increase crop yield, reduce vulnerability to changing precipitation patterns, increase shelf life, strengthen income and employment opportunities in rural areas, and reduce emissions by displacing fossil fuel-based technologies. These productive uses of energy (PUE) in remote areas could potentially be powered by microgrids that additionally serve otherwise unelectrified communities, most of which are located in rural Sub-Saharan Africa. In this paper, we use high-resolution geospatial data to estimate the end-use electricity demand for a range of agricultural PUE across Sub-Saharan Africa, and we share these data in an open-access mapping tool. Next, we use REopt®, a techno-economic optimization model of energy systems, to determine the cost and system sizing implications of incorporating agricultural PUE into microgrid designs in Kenya and Zambia. We estimate the upper bound of agricultural PUE demand for irrigation, milling, shelling, refrigeration, and egg incubation across Sub-Saharan to be 16.8 TWh/yr. We find that incorporating local agricultural PUE into microgrid system designs increases the required system sizing while having minimal impact on the levelized cost of energy of these systems. Our analysis is the first to demonstrate the PUE potential in the agricultural sector at a 10x10-kilometer resolution across Sub-Saharan Africa and to show, at scale, how site-specific PUE can impact the cost and sizing of microgrids that are otherwise deployed to serve local household and community load.

Optimizing the Use of Meninting Multipurpose Reservoir Water in West Lombok District

The construction of the Meninting Reservoir was planned with the objective of meeting the irrigation and domestic water demands on Lombok Island. It served as a multipurpose reservoir, with a maximum storage volume of 12.18 million m³, mainly for supplying irrigation and domestic water. The reservoir had considerable potential for water availability, which could be used to supply water to the South Lombok region with limited water availability but had agricultural land potential. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the potential of Meninting Reservoir water availability and its optimum utilization for irrigation and domestic purposes. The irrigation water demand for 1,559.29 ha and domestic water demand of 150 ls-1 was fulfilled by Meninting Reservoir. Water availability in this Reservoir was estimated with the F.J. Mock method of rainfall-runoff model using 25 years of daily rainfall data from Gunung Sari and Sesaot rain gauge stations. The calibration process of the rainfall-runoff parameters models employed observed discharge data from the Aiknyet water level gauge station. The formula for optimizing reservoir water release was prepared using the linear programming method based on operational water level limits, inflow discharge, irrigation, and non-irrigation water requirements, including domestic water. The optimal average annual cropping intensity was 203.96%, 215.87%, and 241.41% for dry, normal, and wet years, respectively. The service reliability of irrigation and domestic water demands reached 100% for all inflow discharge conditions. The k-factor value met the minimum limit of 0.70 and 0.85 for irrigation and domestic water demands, respectively.

Bestimmungsfaktoren für landwirtschaftliche Bewässerungsbedarfe und regionale Governance-Ansätze zur Konfliktreduktion in Niedersachsen und Sachsen-Anhalt

ZusammenfassungZunehmende Trockenheit erhöht landwirtschaftliche Bewässerungsbedarfe. Erstmalige Grundwasserentnahmeanträge sowie Erweiterungsanträge nehmen zu. Damit verändern sich langjährige Gleichgewichte unter den Grundwassernutzern (Trinkwassergewinnung, Ökosystemschutz, Gewässerunterhaltung, Forstwirtschaft, Landwirtschaft, Verwaltung, Öffentlichkeit). Widerstände gegen Behördenentscheidungen könnten anwachsen. Um diesbezüglich potenzielle ressourcenzehrende Reibungsverluste zu verringern und stattdessen kooperatives Handeln anzustoßen, erprobten Landwirtschaftskammer Niedersachen und Landesamt für Bergbau, Energie und Geologie mit ausgewählten Landkreisen in zwei Projekten (Netzwerke Wasser) neuartige governance-basierte Handlungsansätze. Runde Tische mit Stakeholdervertretern wurden eingerichtet zwecks Kennenlernens, Kompetenzerweiterung und Vertrauensbildung. Während ganztägiger „Netzwerktreffen“ wurden regionalspezifische Fachinformationen einschließlich der Bestimmungsfaktoren für landwirtschaftliche Wassernachfrage vermittelt. Insbesondere fehlten objektive Informationen über aktuelle sowie zukünftige landwirtschaftliche Bewässerungsbedarfe. Deshalb wurden die örtlichen potenziellen Beregnungsbedürftigkeiten auf Basis hochaufgelöster Bodendaten, Ackerkulturartenanteilen und Klima(projektions)daten ermittelt. Eindeutige Trends zu steigenden potenziellen Beregnungsbedarfen von bis zu 31 % im Gebietsmittel bis Jahrhundertende wurden festgestellt. Besonders wichtig waren die Möglichkeiten für informellen Austausch der Handelnden. Abschließend überwog deutlich der Wunsch nach Verstetigung der Stakeholder-Plattformen.

A scenario-specific nexus modelling toolkit to identify trade-offs in the promotion of sustainable irrigated agriculture in Ecuador, a Belt and Road country

Increased demand for food due to development and population growth has prompted irrigated agriculture expansion, posing enhanced global challenges to water, energy, and food security. To confront these challenges, an approach that considers the water-energy-food-environment nexus can address multidimensional trade-offs that complicate the efficient use of resources and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. In order to provide insights into solutions to these challenges for a specific case, this study develops a modelling toolkit that integrates biophysical and socioeconomic aspects of nexus components in the context of agro-export and irrigation expansion in Ecuador, a Belt and Road Country. The nexus toolkit is applied to agricultural-development scenarios defined in participatory workshops and incorporates a water resources model, a lifecycle environmental assessment, and a socioeconomic analysis. The modelling exercise is constructed around specific scenario-determined land use patterns in the Santa Elena peninsula of Ecuador. Agriculture in the peninsula is water-limited, relying on delivery infrastructure and transfers from a neighbouring catchment. Impacts on nexus components are analysed for ten crops under two potential land-use scenarios: a substantial increase in irrigated area due to investment in irrigation infrastructure; and a substantial shift in land use towards export crops. The two have distinct impact on water and energy use, global warming potential, freshwater eutrophication, terrestrial acidification, and fine particulate matter formation. The results provide insights into future water and energy resource challenges and environmental and socioeconomic trade-offs associated with likely changes in irrigation expansion. The results for scenarios show that, for example, banana production has the greatest environmental impacts (e.g. a 519% increase in global warming potential and 452% increase in fine particulate matter form for scenario 2), primarily due to water and energy requirements, despite the crop being mainly produced organically. In addition, total net income and labour demand increase (net income increases by 43% and 217% under scenarios 1 and 2, respectively) due to a larger crop area and crop intensification. Scale effects on labour demand are mainly due to labour intensity of maize in Ecuador, which is disadvantaged in the crop export scenario (an unexpected result). However, expanding irrigated areas would also increase total water and energy demand for irrigation, global warming potential, and freshwater eutrophication. This type of information enables stakeholders and decision-makers to design policies that achieve equitable and sustainable agricultural production, water use, and economic growth.

Agricultural drought characteristics in a typical plain region considering irrigation, crop growth, and water demand impacts

Agricultural drought characteristics in a typical plain region considering irrigation, crop growth, and water demand impacts

Assessment of water demands for irrigation using energy balance and satellite data fusion models in cloud computing: A study in the Brazilian semiarid region

Assessment of water demands for irrigation using energy balance and satellite data fusion models in cloud computing: A study in the Brazilian semiarid region

Assessment of water availability in the Sekampung Argoguruh Sub-Watershed for sustainable water management

In the Sekampung watershed, the Sekampung Argoguruh sub-watershed has been planned to be developed into one of the food barn regions, acting as a buffer for the nearby areas. This region is going to be converted from uncultivated to cultivated land in almost all parts. Given the recent developments in that area, it is necessary to determine if the water supply can fulfil the water demand for irrigation. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the water supply-demand in the Sekampung Argoguruh sub-watershed in order to check the condition of long-term water resources for sustainable water management. In this study, the water supply was estimated by using National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) method, while the amount of water required for agriculture and other uses in Sekampung Argoguruh sub-watershed were observed and calculated. The data analysis shows that the average water supply in the Sekampung Argoguruh sub-watershed is around 19.62 m3/s, whereas the average water demand for all activities in that region is roughly 11.65 m3/s. The situation of the water balance can be classified as excess based on the estimation findings, allowing water allocation to be done to satisfy demand.

Technical modelling of solar photovoltaic water pumping system and evaluation of system performance and their socio-economic impact

Water is a precious resource for agriculture and most of the land is irrigated by tube wells. Diesel engines and electricity-operated pumps are widely used to fulfill irrigation water requirements; such conventional systems are inefficient and costly. With rising concerns about global warming, it is important to choose renewable energy source. In this study, SPVWPS has been optimally designed considering the water requirement, solar resources, tilt angle and orientation, losses in both systems and performance ratio. A PVSyst and SoSiT simulation tools were used to perform simulation analysis of the designed solar photovoltaic WPS. After designing and performance analysis, farmers were interviewed during fieldwork to assess socioeconomic impacts. In the result section, performance of PV system is analyzed at various tilt angles and it is established that system installed at a 15° tilt angle is more efficient. The annual PV array virtual energy at MPP of designed photovoltaic system is 33342 kWh and the annual energy available to operate the WPS is 23502 kWh. Module array mismatch and ohmic wiring losses are 374.16 kWh and 298.83 kWh, respectively. The total annual water demand of the selected site is 80769 m³ and designed SPWPS pumped 75054 m³ of water, supplying 92.93% of the irrigation demand. The normalized values of the effective energy, system losses, collection losses and unused energy in the SPVWP system are 2.6 kW/kWp/day, 0.69 kW/kWp/day, 0.72 kW/kWp/day and 0.48 kW/kWp/day, respectively. The annual average performance ratio of the proposed system is 74.62%. The results of the interviews showed that 70% of farmers are extremely satisfied with the performance of SPVWPS and 84% of farmers indicated that they did not incur any operating costs. The unit cost of the SPWPS is 0.17 €/kWh, which is 56.41% and 19.04% less expensive than the cost of diesel and grid electricity.