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Irrigation Technology and Water Conservation: A Review of the Theory and Evidence
Farming accounts for approximately 70 percent of freshwater withdrawals worldwide, and it often constitutes the lowest value use of freshwater. Where water is scarce, advanced irrigation technologies such as drip and piped delivery systems have been promoted as “water conservation technologies” (WCT...
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Published in: | Review of environmental economics and policy 2020-07, Vol.14 (2), p.216-239 |
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Main Authors: | , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites Items that cite this one |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | Farming accounts for approximately 70 percent of freshwater withdrawals worldwide, and it
often constitutes the lowest value use of freshwater. Where water is scarce, advanced
irrigation technologies such as drip and piped delivery systems have been promoted as
“water conservation technologies” (WCTs) that reduce agricultural water consumption, thus
releasing water to alternative uses (e.g., the environment). This article examines whether
this is true, discussing how WCTs contribute, in theory and practice, to water
conservation. Based on an extensive review of more than 230 theoretical and empirical
papers, we argue that WCTs should not be viewed as a tool for achieving water
conservation, but rather as a means for stabilizing and increasing agricultural water
productivity and farmers’ income in places where water is scarce. We conclude that, if the
ultimate objective is water conservation, it is essential to adopt water conservation
policies—that is, governance instruments aimed at reallocating available resources among
uses (e.g., from irrigation to the environment) |
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ISSN: | 1750-6816 1750-6824 |
DOI: | 10.1093/reep/reaa004 |