Impact of irrigated agriculture on groundwater-recharge salinity: a major sustainability concern in semi-arid regions

Foster, Stephen; Pulido Bosch, Antonio; Vallejos, Ángela; Molina, Luis; Llop, Armando; MacDonald, Alan M.

Impact of irrigated agriculture on groundwater-recharge salinity: a major sustainability concern in semi-arid regions | Impact de l’irrigation agricole sur la salinité de la recharge des eaux souterraines: une préoccupation majeure en matière de pérennité dans les régions semi-arides Impacto de la agricultura de regadio en la salinidad de recarga de agua subterranea: una gran preocupacion para la sostenibilidad en las regiones semiaridas 灌溉农业对地下水—补给盐度的影响:半干旱地区一个重要的、受到关注的可持续问题 Impacto da agricultura irrigada na salinidade da recarga de águas subterrâneas: uma grande preocupação quanto à sustentabilidade em regiões semiáridas

2018

Intensive irrigated agriculture substantially modifies the hydrological cycle and often has major environmental impacts. The article focuses upon a specific concern—the tendency for progressive long-term increases in the salinity of groundwater recharge derived from irrigated permeable soils and replenishment of unconfined aquifers in more arid regions. This process has received only scant attention in the water-resource literature and has not been considered by agricultural science. This work makes an original contribution by analysing, from scientific principles, how the salinisation of groundwater recharge arises and identifies the factors affecting its severity. If not proactively managed, the process eventually will impact irrigation waterwell salinity, the productivity of agriculture itself, and can even lead to land abandonment. The types of management measure required for mitigation are discussed through three detailed case histories of areas with high-value groundwater-irrigated agriculture (in Spain, Argentina and Pakistan), which provide a long-term perspective on the evolution of the problem over various decades.

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