Adapting agriculture to climate change via sustainable irrigation: biophysical potentials and feedbacks

Environmental Research Letters, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 17(6), P. 063008 - 063008

Published: May 27, 2022

Abstract Irrigated agriculture accounts for ∼90% of anthropogenic freshwater consumption, is deployed on 22% cultivated land, and provides 40% global food production. Expanding irrigation onto currently underperforming rainfed croplands crucial to meet future demand without further agricultural expansion associated encroachment natural ecosystems. Establishing also a potential climate adaptation solution alleviate heat- water-stress crops reduce variability extremes. Despite being one the land management practices with largest environmental hydroclimatic impacts, role adapt change achieve sustainability goals has just started be quantified. This study reviews biophysical opportunities feedbacks ‘sustainable irrigation’. I describe concept sustainable expansion—where there are increase productivity over water-limited by adopting that do not deplete stocks impair aquatic may avert but create additional externalities often neglected. review highlights major gaps in analysis understanding change. implications (a) security, (b) conditions, (c) water quality, (d) soil salinization, (e) storage infrastructure, (f) energy use. These help explain challenges achieving irrigated thus point toward solutions research needs.

Language: Английский

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Non-monotonic changes in Asian Water Towers’ streamflow at increasing warming levels

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 14(1)

Published: March 1, 2023

Previous projections show consistent increases in river flows of Asian Water Towers under future climate change. Here we find non-monotonic changes for seven major rivers originating from the Tibetan Plateau at warming levels 1.5 °C, 2.0 and 3.0 °C based on an observation-constrained hydrological model. The annual mean streamflow level decreases by 0.1-3.2% relative to present-day condition, 1.5-12% level. shifting Yellow, Yangtze, Brahmaputra, Ganges are mostly influenced projected rainfall, but those Mekong, Salween, Indus dictated snowmelt glacier melt. Reduced a moderately warmed threaten water security riparian countries, while elevated flood risks expected with further temperature over Plateau.

Language: Английский

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Warming reduces global agricultural production by decreasing cropping frequency and yields

Nature Climate Change, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 12(11), P. 1016 - 1023

Published: Oct. 10, 2022

Language: Английский

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Newly identified climatically and environmentally significant high-latitude dust sources

Atmospheric chemistry and physics, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 22(17), P. 11889 - 11930

Published: Sept. 14, 2022

Abstract. Dust particles from high latitudes have a potentially large local, regional, and global significance to climate the environment as short-lived forcers, air pollutants, nutrient sources. Identifying locations of local dust sources their emission, transport, deposition processes is important for understanding multiple impacts high-latitude (HLD) on Earth's systems. Here, we identify, describe, quantify source intensity (SI) values, which show potential soil surfaces emission scaled values 0 1 concerning globally best productive sources, using Global Sand Storms Source Base Map (G-SDS-SBM). This includes 64 HLD in our collection northern (Alaska, Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, Sweden, Russia) southern (Antarctica Patagonia) latitudes. Activity most these shows seasonal character. It estimated that land areas with higher (SI ≥0.5), very ≥0.7), highest ≥0.9) cover >1 670 000 km2, >560 >240 respectively. In Arctic region (≥60∘ N), area SI ≥0.5 5.5 % (1 035 059 km2), ≥0.7 2.3 (440 804 ≥0.9 1.1 (208 701 km2). Minimum are about 3 orders magnitude smaller, indicating this greatly depend weather conditions. Our spatial distribution analysis modeling results showed evidence supporting belt, defined north 50∘ N, “transitional HLD-source area” extending at 50–58∘ N Eurasia 50–55∘ Canada “cold including 60∘ 58∘ currently “no source” between low-latitude (LLD) except British Columbia. Using atmospheric transport model SILAM, 1.0 originated regions. About 57 snow- ice-covered regions was region, surface conditions favorable during whole year. Climate change can cause decrease duration snow cover, retreat glaciers, an increase drought, heatwave intensity, frequency, leading increasing frequency topsoil increases probability storms. study provides step forward improve representation models monitor, quantify, assess environmental HLD.

Language: Английский

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Relocating croplands could drastically reduce the environmental impacts of global food production

Communications Earth & Environment, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 3(1)

Published: March 10, 2022

Abstract Agricultural production has replaced natural ecosystems across the planet, becoming a major driver of carbon emissions, biodiversity loss, and freshwater consumption. Here we combined global crop yield environmental data in ~1-million-dimensional mathematical optimisation framework to determine how optimising spatial distribution croplands could reduce impacts whilst maintaining current levels. We estimate that relocating optimal locations, allowing then-abandoned areas regenerate, simultaneously decrease carbon, biodiversity, irrigation water footprint by 71%, 87%, 100%, respectively, assuming high-input farming on newly established sites. The crops is largely similar for end-of-century climatic conditions emission scenarios. Substantial impact reductions already be achieved only small proportion worldwide production, within national borders, less intensive systems.

Language: Английский

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South Asian agriculture increasingly dependent on meltwater and groundwater

Nature Climate Change, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 12(6), P. 566 - 573

Published: May 19, 2022

Language: Английский

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Evidence of human influence on Northern Hemisphere snow loss

Nature, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 625(7994), P. 293 - 300

Published: Jan. 10, 2024

Abstract Documenting the rate, magnitude and causes of snow loss is essential to benchmark pace climate change manage differential water security risks snowpack declines 1–4 . So far, however, observational uncertainties in mass 5,6 have made detection attribution human-forced losses elusive, undermining societal preparedness. Here we show that human-caused warming has caused Northern Hemisphere-scale March over 1981–2020 period. Using an ensemble reconstructions, identify robust trends 82 out 169 major Hemisphere river basins, 31 which can confidently attribute human influence. Most crucially, a generalizable highly nonlinear temperature sensitivity snowpack, becomes marginally more sensitive one degree Celsius as climatological winter temperatures exceed minus eight degrees Celsius. Such nonlinearity explains lack widespread so far augurs much sharper most populous basins. Together, our results emphasize their consequences are attributable—even absent clear individual products—and will accelerate homogenize with near-term warming, posing resources absence substantial mitigation.

Language: Английский

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Climate change exacerbates the environmental impacts of agriculture

Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 385(6713)

Published: Sept. 5, 2024

Agriculture's global environmental impacts are widely expected to continue expanding, driven by population and economic growth dietary changes. This Review highlights climate change as an additional amplifier of agriculture's impacts, reducing agricultural productivity, the efficacy agrochemicals, increasing soil erosion, accelerating expanding range crop diseases pests, land clearing. We identify multiple pathways through which intensifies greenhouse gas emissions, creating a potentially powerful change-reinforcing feedback loop. The challenges raised underscore urgent need transition sustainable, climate-resilient systems. requires investments that both accelerate adoption proven solutions provide benefits, discover scale new beneficial processes food products.

Language: Английский

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Synergistic impact of nanomaterials and plant probiotics in agriculture: A tale of two-way strategy for long-term sustainability

Frontiers in Microbiology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 14

Published: May 3, 2023

Modern agriculture is primarily focused on the massive production of cereals and other food-based crops in a sustainable manner order to fulfill food demands an ever-increasing global population. However, intensive agricultural practices, rampant use agrochemicals, environmental factors result soil fertility degradation, pollution, disruption biodiversity, pest resistance, decline crop yields. Thus, experts are shifting their focus eco-friendly safer methods fertilization ensure sustainability. Indeed, importance plant growth-promoting microorganisms, also determined as “plant probiotics (PPs),” has gained widespread recognition, usage biofertilizers being actively promoted means mitigating harmful effects agrochemicals. As bio-elicitors, PPs promote growth colonize or tissues when administered soil, seeds, surface used alternative avoid heavy In past few years, nanotechnology brought revolution due application various nanomaterials (NMs) nano-based fertilizers increase productivity. Given beneficial properties NMs, these two can be tandem maximize benefits. combinations NMs PPs, synergistic use, its infancy but exhibited better crop-modulating terms improvement productivity, mitigation stress (drought, salinity, etc.), restoration fertility, strengthening bioeconomy. addition, proper assessment necessary before application, dose should applicable without showing any toxic impact environment microbial communities. The combo encapsulated within suitable carrier, this method aids controlled targeted delivery entrapped components increases shelf life PPs. review highlights functional annotation combined manner.

Language: Английский

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Complex Policy Mixes are Needed to Cope with Agricultural Water Demands Under Climate Change

Water Resources Management, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 37(6-7), P. 2805 - 2834

Published: March 4, 2023

Abstract The divergence between agricultural water use and the annual supply of resources (water gap) has been increasing for decades. forecast is that this gap will continue to widen, compromising security a large share global population. On one hand, increase in demand attributed an ever-growing population that, addition, adopting high-water consumption per capita lifestyle (e.g., meat-rich diet, increased biofuels irrigated agriculture). other climate change aridification spatio-temporal heterogeneity precipitation worldwide. particularly acute drylands, where development food based on massive exploitation resources, groundwater. Here we analyze mechanisms underlying gap, which mainly driven by agriculture, suggest suitable solutions can help close it. Using causal diagrams, show how generates different demands create prevailing supply-side cannot close. Indeed, it widening over years because grown exponentially. This behaviour explained series necessary understand realize complexity scarcity problems. For solving propose exemplify eight lines action be combined tailored each territory. Our analyses corroborate urgent need plan integral management avoid widespread scenarios under future climatic conditions.

Language: Английский

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