Sustainable irrigation may harm other development goals, study shows
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Pursuing sustainable irrigation without significant irrigation efficiency gains could negatively impact environmental and development goals in many areas of the world, a new study has found.
Over-extraction of groundwater for crop irrigation is one of the main causes of groundwater depletion in regions including Mexico, North East China, northern Africa, the Middle East, and the Midwest, south and west US.
The research, from Purdue University and the University of New Hampshire, examined how water use at a local level is shaped by large-scale effects such as changing population, affluence, climate, and technology. It is published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters.
Source: Phys.org (link opens in a new window)
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