Sustainable Water Management in Agricultural Systems

Sustainable water management in agricultural systems seeks to balance the needs of food production with long-term conservation of freshwater resources. This encompasses techniques that optimise water use efficiency, reduce wastage, enhance soil moisture retention and buffer against climatic variability. Central approaches include precision irrigation, water harvesting, agro-ecological design and integration of renewable energy for pumping and monitoring. Globally, these methods are deployed in diverse settings: from rain-fed smallholdings vulnerable to erratic rainfall, to large-scale irrigated plains facing groundwater depletion. Innovations range from adoption of sensor-driven variable-rate irrigation to traditional water storage structures rejuvenated with modern management. Across scales, sustainable systems emphasise participatory governance, equitable allocation and resilience to extremes such as drought and flood. The practical applications extend from optimized scheduling of irrigation in temperate regions to flood-recession cultivation in sub-Saharan Africa. A unifying theme is the coupling of technological tools with socio-institutional frameworks that empower farmers, safeguard ecosystems and maintain productivity under changing climates.

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Sustainable Water Management in Agricultural Systems publication trend

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Technical terms

Evapotranspiration (ET): Combined process of water evaporation from soil and plant transpiration, used to estimate crop water requirements.

Flood residual water cultivation (FRWC): Farming practice utilising leftover floodwaters on plains to extend growing seasons and supplement rainfall.

Spate irrigation: Method that captures episodic flood flows in semi-arid regions for crop and pasture production.

Water spreading weir (WSW): Low‐head barrier built across ephemeral channels to distribute floodwater over adjoining fields.

Remote sensing: Use of satellite or aerial sensor data to monitor surface water extent, soil moisture and land-use changes.

Water balance: Accounting of inputs, outputs and storage changes in a catchment or reservoir system to guide management decisions.

References

1. Spatial estimation of flood residual water cultivation (FRWC) potential for food security in Sédhiou and Tambacounda regions of Sénégal. Agricultural Water Management (2023).
2. Water spreading weirs altering flood, nutrient distribution and crop productivity in upstream–downstream settings in dry lowlands of Afar, Ethiopia. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems (2020).
3. Using smart ICT to provide weather and water information to smallholders in Africa: The case of the Gash River Basin, Sudan. Climate Risk Management (2018).