New research: Global expansion of sustainable irrigation limited by water storage
Expansion of sustainable irrigation (i.e., using sustainable water resources to irrigate water-limited croplands) can increase food production, while neither depleting water stocks nor encroaching upon nature. Yet, there is a mismatch in timing of water availability and of irrigation needs in many geographies, necessitating temporary water storage. We quantify global volumes of water that requires temporary storage to be leveraged for an expansion of sustainable irrigation and discuss options to provide that storage. While dammed reservoirs are crucial for today’s irrigation, dams alone will not suffice to fully leverage sustainable water resources in the future and while creating major impacts on nature and people. This highlights the urgent need for alternative solutions to water storage and demand side approaches to food security.