| Titre : | Water use in Spanish agriculture (2001-2019): trends and impacts of irrigation intensification (2026) |
| Auteurs : | G. Arbonès ; O. Mialyk ; L. De Stefano ; A. Garrido |
| Type de document : | Article |
| Dans : | Agricultural Water Management (vol. 329, May 2026) |
| Article en page(s) : | p. 110384 |
| Langues : | Anglais |
| Langues du résumé : | Anglais |
| Catégories : |
Catégories principales 07 - ENVIRONNEMENT ; 7.3 - Eau. Gestion de l'EauThésaurus IAMM IRRIGATION ; EAU D'IRRIGATION ; EMPREINTE HYDRIQUE ; UTILISATION DE L'EAU ; ESPAGNE |
| Résumé : | Spanish agriculture has intensified since the latter half of the twentieth century, driven by the expansion of irrigation, crop specialization, and technological modernization. A key milestone in this process was the widespread modernization of irrigation systems between 2002 and 2015. This study presents a spatially and temporally explicit assessment of the water footprint (WF) of crop production in Spain using a gridded process-based crop model. By integrating 5-arc-minute resolution simulations with national and sub-national statistics, we estimate green and blue WF for 70 crops and crop groups from 2001 to 2019. Our results demonstrate an increase in the total consumptive WF of irrigated crops driven primarily by the expansion of woody crops. Despite this expansion, the gross blue WF?which includes irrigation conveyance and application losses?remained stable, largely due to the widespread adoption of more efficient drip irrigation systems. While irrigation has improved the productivity of Spanish agriculture?particularly during drought years by buffering yield losses and stabilizing production?it has also introduced environmental and economic challenges. The expansion of irrigated agriculture into drought-prone regions and areas overlying groundwater bodies with poor status raises concerns about its environmental sustainability. Overall, this study contributes to the growing body of evidence indicating that advances in irrigation technology and shifts in cropping patterns have achieved more crop per drop, while, significant pressures on water resources persist. |
| Cote : | En ligne |
| URL / DOI : | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110384 |
Accueil
Sélection de la langue
Adresse
ÉQUIPE
Nous contacter
Informations pratiques
contact
