Table 1 Simulation protocol.

From: Reconciling irrigated food production with environmental flows for Sustainable Development Goals implementation

Scenario

Description

0. Current situation

Water withdrawals constrained by surface water availability only, not by EFRs.

1. No irrigation

No human water withdrawal (irrigation and other sectors), but same land use patterns as in 'current situation', that is, rainfed conditions on currently irrigated cropland.

2. Respect EFR

Total water withdrawal constrained by EFRs (industrial and domestic prioritized over irrigation). Individual model runs for each EFR method. (Tessmannadapted, VMF, Smakhtinadapted).

3. Respect EFR paired with irrigation upgrade

Same as scenario 2, yet combined with an irrigation upgrade scenario: surface irrigation replaced by sprinkler systems (except paddy rice), half of saved consumptive losses used to expand irrigation into neighbouring rainfed cropland. Individual model runs for each EFR method.

4. Respect EFR paired with integrated water management

Same as scenario 3, yet combined with a modest form of rainwater management: 25% of surface runoff collected for supplemental irrigation (rainwater harvesting) and 25% of soil evaporation alleviated. Individual model runs for each EFR method.

  1. The table highlights scenarios investigated in this study to quantify environmental flow requirements (EFRs) and potentials in farm water management. The simulation setup is detailed in the Methods section 'Model and simulation protocol'.
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