Irrigation Distribution Networks’ Vulnerability to Climate Change
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 136, Issue 7
Abstract
Climate change will lead to changed demands on existing irrigation systems. This paper presents a methodology for investigating the performance of irrigation networks under climate change, and applies this to an irrigation network in Cordoba, southern Spain. The methodology uses emission scenarios (A2 and B2) developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. A global climate model (HadCM3) is used with downscaling to predict climate variables for 2050 and 2080 under the emission scenarios. European agricultural policy scenarios are used to predict future cropping patterns. Irrigation water requirements are then estimated for various combinations of these climate and cropping pattern scenarios, and the performance of the irrigation network is evaluated in terms of the equity and adequacy of pressure at the outlets, using EPANET. The methodology was applied to the Fuente Palmera irrigation district, which supplies water on-demand for drip irrigation. The results show that climate change would have a major impact on network performance with the existing cropping pattern, but that expected changes in cropping pattern would reduce this impact.
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Acknowledgments
The development of this paper has been possible thanks to the Spanish national program of human research resources relocation (Jose Castillejo grant, Plan Nacional de 2008–2011).
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Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 136 • Issue 7 • July 2010
Pages: 486 - 493
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Jan 26, 2009
Accepted: Dec 13, 2009
Published online: Dec 18, 2009
Published in print: Jul 2010
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