Water Requirements for Irrigation and the Environment

Water Requirements for Irrigation and the Environment
Author: Marinus G. Bos
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 186
Release: 2008-11-23
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1402089481

Irrigated agriculture produces about 40% of all food and fibre on about 16% of all cropped land. As such, irrigated agriculture is a productive user of resources; both in terms of yield per cropped area and in yield per volume of water consumed. Many irrigation projects, however, use (divert or withdraw) much more water than consumed by the crop. The non-consumed fraction of the water may cause a variety of undesirable effects ranging from water-logging and salinity within the irrigated area to downstram water pollution. This book discusses all components of the water balance of an irrigated area; evapotranspiration (Ch.2), effective precipitation (Ch.3) and capillary rise from the groundwater table (Ch.4). Chapter 5 then combines all components into a water management strategy that balances actual evapotranspiration (and thus crop yield) with the groundwater balance of the irrigated area (for a substainable environment). Chapter 6 presents CRIWAR 3.0, a simulation program that combines all water balance components into a single simulation procedure. The chapter describes the use of the CRIWAR software for developing water requirement tables and other useful information based on the selected water management strategy. This version greatly expands upon the capabilities of previously published programs.

Salinisation of Land and Water Resources

Salinisation of Land and Water Resources
Author: Fereidoun Ghassemi
Publisher: UNSW Press
Total Pages: 552
Release: 1995
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9780851989068

Human-induced salinisation is a major threat to the world's land and water resources. Inadequate development of irrigation projects, inefficient irrigation, lack of proper drainage, and environmental mismanagement such as the clearing of native vegetation, are responsible for the loss of millions of hectares of agricultural and grazing land, as well as the misuse of scarce water resources. The first part of this book analyses the problem in the context of the world's population, its climate and its land and water resources. It reviews irrigation methods and crop water requirements, the processes of salinisation, and its management. The second part describes irrigated land, dryland and water-resource salinity problems in 11 countries, which contain approximately 70 per cent of the world's irrigated land. In each case study, background data, environmental conditions and past management practices are given to provide an understanding of why salinity occurs in particular places, and of the management methods employed against it.

Practices of Irrigation & On-farm Water Management: Volume 2

Practices of Irrigation & On-farm Water Management: Volume 2
Author: Hossain Ali
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 563
Release: 2011-01-11
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 144197637X

The comprehensive and compact presentation in this book is the perfect format for a resource/textbook for undergraduate students in the areas of Agricultural Engineering, Biological Systems Engineering, Bio-Science Engineering, Water Resource Engineering, and Civil & Environmental Engineering. This book will also serve as a reference manual for researchers and extension workers in such diverse fields as agricultural engineering, agronomy, ecology, hydrology, and meteorology.

Land Use and Soil Resources

Land Use and Soil Resources
Author: Ademola K. Braimoh
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 269
Release: 2008-02-02
Genre: Science
ISBN: 140206778X

Poor land management has degraded vast amounts of land, reduced our ability to produce enough food, and is a major threat to rural livelihoods in many developing countries. This book provides a thorough analysis of the multifaceted impacts of land use on soils. Abundantly illustrated with full-color images, it brings together renowned academics and policy experts to analyze the patterns, driving factors and proximate causes, and the socioeconomic impacts of soil degradation.

Arkansas River Compact

Arkansas River Compact
Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Public Lands. Subcommittee on Irrigation and Reclamation
Publisher:
Total Pages: 66
Release: 1949
Genre: Arkansas River
ISBN:

Population, Land Use, and Environment

Population, Land Use, and Environment
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 345
Release: 2005-10-15
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0309096553

Population, Land Use, and Environment: Research Directions offers recommendations for future research to improve understanding of how changes in human populations affect the natural environment by means of changes in land use, such as deforestation, urban development, and development of coastal zones. It also features a set of state-of-the-art papers by leading researchers that analyze population-land useenvironment relationships in urban and rural settings in developed and underdeveloped countries and that show how remote sensing and other observational methods are being applied to these issues. This book will serve as a resource for researchers, research funders, and students.

Sustainable Agricultural Development

Sustainable Agricultural Development
Author: Mohamed Behnassi
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 297
Release: 2011-02-09
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9400705190

Due to many challenges (i.e. climate change, energy, water and land shortage, high demands on food, land grabbing, etc.), agriculture production potential is expected to be seriously affected; thus, increasing food insecurity and hunger in many already affected regions (especially in Africa). In this context, sustainable agriculture is highly recommended as an eco-system approach where soil, water, plants, environment and living organisms live in harmony. Innovative technologies and research should be developed to ensure sustainable agriculture and productivity using modern irrigation systems, improved varieties, improved soil quality, etc. In the meantime, the preservation of natural environment should be based on resource conservation technologies and best management practices. Sustainable Agricultural Development, not only raises the serious ethical and social issues underlying these huge environmental problems, but also aims at presenting successful experiences from all over the world in relation with sustainable farming, sustainable management of water and land resources, and innovative processes in livestock production. It also aims at providing inputs to decision making processes and encouraging the transfer of relevant know-how, technologies and expertise to different countries where similar agro-climatic conditions may exist; thus saving precious resources and promoting sustainable agricultural development as a relevant approach to tackle the food security challenge. Finally, this book focuses on the paradigmatic and policy dimensions and call for an innovative approach by analyzing the key themes in a complex and interrelated manner.

Managing Water Resources in the West Under Conditions of Climate Uncertainty

Managing Water Resources in the West Under Conditions of Climate Uncertainty
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 359
Release: 1991-02-01
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309046777

The question of whether the earth's climate is changing in some significant human-induced way remains a matter of much debate. But the fact that climate is variable over time is well known. These two elements of climatic uncertainty affect water resources planning and management in the American West. Managing Water Resources in the West Under Conditions of Climate Uncertainty examines the scientific basis for predictions of climate change, the implications of climate uncertainty for water resources management, and the management options available for responding to climate variability and potential climate change.