Assessing options to increase water productivity in irrigated river basins using remote sensing and modelling tools

In regions where water is more scarce than land, the water productivity concept (e.g. crop yield per unit of water utilized) provides a useful framework to analyse crop production increase or water savings in irrigated agriculture. Generic crop and soil models were applied at field and regional scale, together with geographical and satellite data to analyse water productivity in Sirsa District (India). In this district certain parts show a serious decline in groundwater levels and water shortage, while other parts experience a serious rise of groundwater levels, causing waterlogging and salinization. The regional analysis showed a large spatial variability of water productivity, net groundwater recharge and salinization. Scenario analysis showed that improved crop husbandry, reallocation of canal water from fresh to saline groundwater areas and reduction of seepage losses in saline groundwater areas are effective measures to increase the overall water productivity and to attain sustainable irrigation in Sirsa District.