skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: A modeling study of irrigation effects on global surface water and groundwater resources under a changing climate

Journal Article · · Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2015MS000437· OSTI ID:1223159
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [2]
  1. Atmospheric Sciences and Global Change Division Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Richland Washington USA, Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
  2. Atmospheric Sciences and Global Change Division Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Richland Washington USA
  3. Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China

In this paper, the effects of irrigation on global surface water (SW) and groundwater (GW) resources are investigated by performing simulations using Community Land Model 4.0 (CLM4) at 0.5-degree resolution driven by downscaled/bias-corrected historical simulations and future projections from five General Circulation Models (GCMs) for 1950-2099. For each climate scenario, three sets of numerical experiments were configured: (1) a control experiment (CTRL) in which all crops are assumed to be rainfed; (2) an irrigation experiment (IRRIG) in which the irrigation module using only SW for irrigation is activated; and (3) a groundwater pumping experiment (PUMP) in which a groundwater pumping scheme coupled with the irrigation module is activated for conjunctive use of SW and GW for irrigation. The parameters associated with irrigation and groundwater pumping are calibrated based on a global inventory of census-based SW and GW use compiled by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Our results suggest that irrigation could lead to two major opposing effects: SW depletion/GW accumulation in regions with irrigation primarily fed by SW, and SW accumulation/GW depletion in regions with irrigation fed primarily by GW. Furthermore, irrigation depending primarily on SW tends to have larger impacts on low-flow than high-flow conditions, suggesting the potential to increase vulnerability to drought. By the end of the 21st century (2070-2099), climate change significantly increases (relative to 1971-2000) irrigation water demand across the world. Combined with the increased temporal-spatial variability of water supply, this may lead to severe issues of local water scarcity for irrigation. Regionally, irrigation has the potential to aggravate/alleviate climate-induced changes of SW/GW although such effects are negligible when averaged globally. Our results emphasize the importance of accounting for irrigation effects and irrigation sources in regional climate change impact assessment.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RLO1830; 41425002; 2012CB955403
OSTI ID:
1223159
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1229961; OSTI ID: 1785817
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-105104
Journal Information:
Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, Journal Name: Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems Vol. 7 Journal Issue: 3; ISSN 1942-2466
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 79 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (77)

An integrated model for the assessment of global water resources – Part 1: Model description and input meteorological forcing journal January 2008
Development of high resolution land surface parameters for the Community Land Model journal January 2012
On an improved sub-regional water resources management representation for integration into earth system models journal January 2013
Satellites measure recent rates of groundwater depletion in California's Central Valley: CENTRAL VALLEY GROUNDWATER DEPLETION journal February 2011
One-way coupling of an integrated assessment model and a water resources model: evaluation and implications of future changes over the US Midwest journal January 2013
Effects of anthropogenic groundwater exploitation on land surface processes: A case study of the Haihe River Basin, northern China journal May 2015
Influence of irrigation on land hydrological processes over California journal December 2014
Development and validation of the global map of irrigation areas journal January 2005
Impact of a Statistical Bias Correction on the Projected Hydrological Changes Obtained from Three GCMs and Two Hydrology Models journal August 2011
A trend-preserving bias correction – the ISI-MIP approach journal January 2013
Effects of irrigation on the water and energy balances of the Colorado and Mekong river basins journal June 2006
Statistical bias correction of global simulated daily precipitation and temperature for the application of hydrological models journal December 2010
Evaluating runoff simulations from the Community Land Model 4.0 using observations from flux towers and a mountainous watershed: EVALUATING RUNOFF SIMULATIONS FROM CLM4 journal December 2011
Irrigation in California's Central Valley strengthens the southwestern U.S. water cycle: CENTRAL VALLEY IRRIGATION STRENGTHENS U. S. MONSOON journal January 2013
Projected impacts of climate change on farmers' extraction of groundwater from crystalline aquifers in South India journal January 2014
Modelling global water stress of the recent past: on the relative importance of trends in water demand and climate variability journal January 2011
A new methodology to map irrigated areas using multi-temporal MODIS and ancillary data: An application example in the continental US journal September 2008
Improvements in a half degree atmosphere/land version of the CCSM journal July 2009
Spatiotemporal patterns of evapotranspiration in response to multiple environmental factors simulated by the Community Land Model journal April 2013
The next generation of scenarios for climate change research and assessment journal February 2010
How is the impact of climate change on river flow regimes related to the impact on mean annual runoff? A global-scale analysis journal January 2012
Detection of a direct carbon dioxide effect in continental river runoff records journal February 2006
Creation of the WATCH Forcing Data and Its Use to Assess Global and Regional Reference Crop Evaporation over Land during the Twentieth Century journal October 2011
Downscaling global land cover projections from an integrated assessment model for use in regional analyses: results and evaluation for the US from 2005 to 2095 journal May 2014
Effects of crop growth and development on regional climate: a case study over East Asian monsoon area journal June 2011
Large-scale water cycle perturbation due to irrigation pumping in the US High Plains: A synthesis of observed streamflow changes journal September 2010
Robust spring drying in the southwestern U.S. and seasonal migration of wet/dry patterns in a warmer climate: FUTURE WATER AVAILABILITY CHANGES journal March 2014
Global monthly water stress: 2. Water demand and severity of water stress: GLOBAL MONTHLY WATER STRESS, 2 journal July 2011
Changes in climate and land use have a larger direct impact than rising CO2 on global river runoff trends journal September 2007
Modeling the Impacts of Future Climate Change on Irrigation over China: Sensitivity to Adjusted Projections journal October 2014
Improving simulation of soil moisture in China using a multiple meteorological forcing ensemble approach journal January 2013
Impact of water withdrawals from groundwater and surface water on continental water storage variations journal September 2012
Satellite-based estimates of groundwater depletion in India journal August 2009
Impact of climate change on renewable groundwater resources: assessing the benefits of avoided greenhouse gas emissions using selected CMIP5 climate projections journal May 2013
Parameterization improvements and functional and structural advances in Version 4 of the Community Land Model: PARAMETERIZATION IMPROVEMENTS AND FUNCTIONAL AND STRUCTURAL ADVANCES journal January 2011
Global modeling of withdrawal, allocation and consumptive use of surface water and groundwater resources journal January 2014
Changes of time mean state and variability of hydrology in response to a doubling and quadrupling of CO2 journal November 2009
Groundwater use for irrigation – a global inventory journal January 2010
Projected changes in mean and interannual variability of surface water over continental China journal December 2014
Simulating the Effects of Irrigation over the United States in a Land Surface Model Based on Satellite-Derived Agricultural Data journal February 2010
Research Needs and Directions of Regional Climate Modeling Using WRF and CCSM journal December 2006
Global Hydrological Cycles and World Water Resources journal August 2006
Impact of Climate Change and Variability on Irrigation Requirements: A Global Perspective journal August 2002
A comparative analysis of the impacts of climate change and irrigation on land surface and subsurface hydrology in the North China Plain journal June 2014
Multimodel projections and uncertainties of irrigation water demand under climate change: IRRIGATION DEMAND UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE journal September 2013
Multisectoral climate impact hotspots in a warming world journal December 2013
Runoff sensitivity to global mean temperature change in the CMIP5 Models: Runoff Sensitivity estimated using CMIP5 journal August 2014
Responses of terrestrial aridity to global warming journal July 2014
Global water resources affected by human interventions and climate change journal December 2013
Representing a new MODIS consistent land surface in the Community Land Model (CLM 3.0) journal January 2007
Sensitivity of surface flux simulations to hydrologic parameters based on an uncertainty quantification framework applied to the Community Land Model: UNCERTAINTY QUANTIFICATION FOR CLM4 journal August 2012
Beneath the surface of global change: Impacts of climate change on groundwater journal August 2011
Uncertainty Analysis of Runoff Simulations and Parameter Identifiability in the Community Land Model: Evidence from MOPEX Basins journal December 2013
Effects of interbasin water transfer on regional climate: A case study of the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project in China journal January 2010
Effects of global irrigation on the near-surface climate journal July 2008
Climatic responses to anthropogenic groundwater exploitation: a case study of the Haihe River Basin, Northern China journal November 2013
Influence of irrigation schemes used in regional climate models on evapotranspiration estimation: Results and comparative studies from California's Central Valley agricultural regions: INFLUENCE OF IRRIGATION IN RCM ON ET journal March 2012
Modeling the effects of irrigation on land surface fluxes and states over the conterminous United States: Sensitivity to input data and model parameters: EFFECTS OF IRRIGATION OVER CONUS journal September 2013
Human impacts on terrestrial hydrology: climate change versus pumping and irrigation journal October 2012
A Modeling Study of Irrigation Effects on Surface Fluxes and Land–Air–Cloud Interactions in the Southern Great Plains journal June 2013
Multimodel assessment of water scarcity under climate change journal December 2013
Ground water and climate change journal November 2012
Global depletion of groundwater resources: GLOBAL GROUNDWATER DEPLETION journal October 2010
Quantifying blue and green virtual water contents in global crop production as well as potential production losses without irrigation journal April 2010
Climate impacts on global irrigation requirements under 19 GCMs, simulated with a vegetation and hydrology model journal January 2013
Feedbacks between managed irrigation and water availability: Diagnosing temporal and spatial patterns using an integrated hydrologic model journal March 2014
Global warming under old and new scenarios using IPCC climate sensitivity range estimates journal February 2012
Effects of crop growth and development on land surface fluxes journal June 2011
Ensemble projections of future streamflow droughts in Europe journal January 2014
High-resolution fields of global runoff combining observed river discharge and simulated water balances: HIGH-RESOLUTION COMPOSITE RUNOFF FIELDS journal August 2002
Modelling the impacts of projected future climate change on water resources in north-west England journal January 2007
Incorporation of groundwater pumping in a global Land Surface Model with the representation of human impacts journal January 2015
Constraints and potentials of future irrigation water availability on agricultural production under climate change journal December 2013
Modeling the Effects of Groundwater-Fed Irrigation on Terrestrial Hydrology over the Conterminous United States journal June 2014
Climate change impacts on meteorological, agricultural and hydrological droughts in China journal March 2015
The Influence of Precipitation Variability and Partial Irrigation within Grid Cells on a Hydrological Simulation journal June 2007
The Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISI–MIP): Project framework journal December 2013

Similar Records

Modeling the Effects of Groundwater-fed Irrigation on Terrestrial Hydrology over the Conterminous United States
Journal Article · Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Journal of Hydrometeorology, 15(3):957–972 · OSTI ID:1223159

The greenhouse gas cost of agricultural intensification with groundwater irrigation in a Midwest U.S. row cropping system
Journal Article · Fri Oct 26 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Global Change Biology · OSTI ID:1223159

A Holistic View of Water Management Impacts on Future Droughts: A Global Multimodel Analysis
Journal Article · Wed May 23 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres · OSTI ID:1223159