Water Use Efficiency

The term water use efficiency originates in the economic concept of productivity. Productivity measures the same amount of any given resource that must be expended to produce one unit of any goods or service. Thus, water productivity might be measured by the volume of water taken into a plant to produce a unit of the output. In general, the lower the resource input requirement per unit, the higher the efficiency. In any environmental resource context, however, the efficiency concept must be extended to include considerations of quality. Any effort to improve water use efficiency should be consistent with maintaining or improving water quality. Taking both quantity and quality into account, Water use efficiency includes any measure that reduces the amount of water used per unit of any given activity, consistent with the maintenance or enhancement of water quality. The importance of efficiency in water use varies across regions and nations, as well as through time. Economic conditions will often lead to greater or lesser water use efficiency. Many regions of the world have been assisted in their development through public financing of water development. While the benefits or costs of such projects in efficiency terms are often debatable, it is imperative that economic factors can influence water use efficiency. Social conditions also play an important role in examining the efficient use of water resources. The literature reveals many areas where public education has led to conservation and better use of available water supplies.

How Important is Irrigation to Agriculture?

The growing water scarcity and the misuse of available water resources are nowadays major threats to sustainable development For any country, agriculture plays an important role feeding and clothing its burgeoning population . In this context, increasing the water use efficiency by reducing water losses in the irrigation sector also results in maximizing/increasing the limited resource, i.e., available water supply Avoiding water conflicts among the water user sectors, achieving water security and food security is fundamentally a matter of water use efficiency in the irrigation sector. The prevailing geographic, economic and social conditions of the nation play an important role in examining the efficient use of water. In agriculture, water use efficiency may be defined quite differently by a farmer, a manager of an irrigation project, or a river basin authority. Efficiencies in the use of water for irrigation consists in various components and takes into account losses during storage, conveyance and application to irrigation plots. Identifying the various components and knowing what improvements can be made is essential in making most effective use of this vital and scarce resource

Challenges for Agriculture

Population and economic growth, water-right claims, and water quality/environmental priorities are increasing the demand for water resources. Expansion of the energy sector is also expected to increase regional demands for water. In areas where irrigation is concentrated, climate change could shrink water supplies as a result of warming temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, while also increasing water demand. These trends place added pressure on existing water allocations, heightening the importance of water conservation for a sustainable irrigated agriculture sector.

Future of Irrigated Agriculture

The future of irrigated agriculture will depend in part on the ability of producers to improve on-farm water management for crop production. Upgrades in irrigation system technologies and improved water-management practices can enhance on-farm wateruse efficiency. In addition, coordinating water management at the farmand watershed-levels may help increase the efficiency of water allocations among competing users. Institutional measures--such as conserved water rights, groundwater and surface-water withdrawal restrictions, drought water banks, and option water markets--can encourage agricultural producers to reduce crop consumptive use while facilitating the reallocation of water to higher valued uses.

On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency: Opportunities for Continued Improvement

Water-use efficiency gains provide not only farmlevel benefits, but can contribute to off-farm benefits as well, including improved fish and wildlife habitat, and reduced ecosystem and human health risks associated with environmental degradation. On-farm irrigation efficiency--the share of applied water that is beneficially used by the crop can be increased through imparting knowledge to water users.

Consumptive water use

Consumptive water use is water removed from available supplies without return to a water resource system (e.g., water used in manufacturing, agriculture, and food preparation that is not returned to a stream, river, or water treatment plant). Evaporation from the surface of the earth into clouds of water in the air which then falls to the ground as "rain" is excluded from this model. Crop consumptive water use is the amount of water transpired during plant growth plus what evaporates from the soil surface and foliage in the crop area. The portion of water consumed in crop production depends on many factors, especially the irrigation technology.

On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency: Opportunities for Continued Improvement

While substantial technological innovation has already occurred in irrigated agriculture world wide, since irrigated cropland acres continue to be irrigated with more traditional, less-efficient application systems additional water-use efficiency gains are achievable. In addition, potential exists for increased irrigation efficiency through more extensive use of improved on-farm water-management practices. Fewer than 10 percent of irrigators made use of soil- or plant-moisture sensing devices or commercial irrigation scheduling services in 2008. Fewer than 2 percent used computer-based simulation models to determine irrigation requirements based on consumptive-use needs by cropgrowth stage under local weather conditions.